Knight of Fanela
by i am cari
Summary: Van and Hitomi's eldest son, Julian, ventures into the world of Gaia, searching for his purpose in life. A sequel to Van&Hitomi's Marriage, the story will follow only Julian. Not much Van Hitomi stuff contained. Sequel to a sequel, etc.
1. Julian is Angry

1 Knight of Fanela  
  
Hey! I'm back. Yeah I think you know what this story is about if you've read the one you're supposed to read first. (confused yet? Check out Van&Hitomi's Marriage listed under my profile [author search- i am cari]) Um, I apologize, this is kind of stretching the limits of Escaflowne. It's about Van and Hitomi's 1st son. If you read my first fic, about them getting married, then that has the listing of all the fics to come. I don't know if that's confusing or whatever. ARGH. I'm confusing myself! Anyway, read on. (sorry guys, I forgot my medicine)  
  
Remember: Wasurenaide hitorijanai, hanaretemo te wo tsunaideiru.  
  
&Cari (scared-confused-angry? Email me! -tsubasa_no_kami@juno.com) AIM: cari is a ninja, spn cmbstication  
  
& Julian stormed out of the palace, his stomach complaining for breakfast. With his sword by his side, he marched into the markets of Fanela and bought a loaf of bread. He gulped it down and continued toward the end of town. The townspeople, after glancing at his face, hurriedly whispered to their friends and other people that the crown prince had had another fight with his parents again, and would Fanela ever see peace in its royal families? Julian ignored these whispers and took the left fork in the road that led out of town; it led to the forest and sanctuary. He swiped an angry hand through his hair and thought of his father's angry face; today, their argument had been about Julian's rise to the crown. He had, for some reason, claimed he didn't want to be king of Fanela. This had triggered a harsh memory in Van's brain of Folken not becoming King and Van had started gesturing violently and shouting about destinies not being fulfilled and pasts coming back to haunt him. He had finally exhausted himself and flung himself in his chair, whereas Hitomi, who had been standing quietly the entire time came forward to rest a hand on her angry husband's shoulder and ask Julian gently why he didn't want to be king. Julian shrugged and in a moment of extreme anger cried to his parents that he hated his life and hated Fanela. That was when he had run from the palace and heard his mother comment quietly, "Van, my heart, he is like your brother, but do not be so harsh on him; Julian will find his way and it will be glorious." Julian felt his anger subside and in its place, shame and love filled his mind; his mother was so calm and right about everything, he felt guilty about yelling at her. He stroked his sword and unsheathed it. It glimmered in the sun and swung easily and with grace. Julian focused his attention on a nearby bush and let his mind clear of all thoughts. He closed his eyes and focused his anger on different spots of the bush; he could "see" where the plant's vulnerable parts were. He opened his eyes slowly, then with lightning quick speed and agility, sliced the bush in several different places. In a matter of seconds, the plant was reduced to a naked twig.  
  
&Diana stared at the young man who had just killed a bush with anger. She watched sadly as he stood upright, and wiped sweat on his shirt; he looked so alone and unhappy. "Hello." She commented. The man turned around and saw her, he immediately became wary and replied, "Hello?" Then he sank into a kind of half bow and hoping she didn't recognize him, quickly stood up again; he recognized her, she was princess of Palas; Allen's and Millerna's eldest daughter. "What were you doing?" she asked, obviously, she didn't know him. He relaxed and responded, "Training." She nodded and asked, "Why?" He stared at her calm, deep honey brown eyes and shrugged, "Why do you care?" he asked her. Diana was taken aback: she was just making friendly conversation, wasn't she? "I…I'm sorry. I was just…" He shook his head violently, "No. Why apologize? You didn't do anything wrong. What are you doing here?" Diana looked at his intense steel gray eyes and blushed slightly. "I…I'm going to visit my parents in Palas." He smiled a bit, "You live there?" Diana glanced down and back up at him, "No. Well…I don't know. I didn't want to be there anymore so I left…but I didn't like where I was going…so I just moved all over the place, but I'm still not happy. I mean…" She looked up at him and found him studying her intently; Diana blushed again. "Sorry. I told you too much. It's not your problem." He again stared intensely at her, "It's ok. You don't need to keep apologizing. Can I come with you? I...need to get away too." He sheathed his sword and stepped towards her. Diana stared at him, was he serious? She wouldn't mind the company…especially not handsome company…but his eyes sacred her; they were too keen, too intent, too interested. "I would like you to come," she replied quietly.  
  
&Julian kept a steady pace next to the girl. He didn't know her name, nor she his. He didn't really care, but it might come in handy. "What is your name?" he asked as he glanced down at her. She looked up at him and smiled, "Diana. And yours?" Julian thought quickly; if he told her his real name…would she recognize him? "People call me Tory." He replied quietly. Diana stared at him for a moment. "Tory? Is that your real name or a nickname?" Julian shrugged and smiled, "Neither." Diana laughed too and said, "Where are you from?" Julian looked straight ahead and replied, "I don't know. Or care." Diana stopped walking and cried, "What's that supposed to mean?! Have you forgotten your memory or something?! Do you need a doctor?! Why did you make me take you along?!" Julian crossed his arms and took a stance, "Oy…" he muttered as Diana shrieked crazily in the background, "Look. It's ok. Don't go crazy or anything. Let's just get to Palas." Suddenly, a big hand reached out from behind the tree Diana was standing near and grabbed her. "Wahhh!?" screamed Diana as a large, dirty, fat man grabbed her and pinned her against him. Another slim, handsome man jumped down from the trees overhead and called to Julian in a nasally voice, "Eh! Give us your possessions or the girl gets it." He pulled a knife from his boot and offhandedly tapped it against Diana's throat. "Pretty thing." He muttered and turned back to Julian, "Well?" the man called again.  
  
&Diana watched as Tory drew his sword and advanced towards them. She felt a stab of pain as the thin man pricked her neck with the knife; she cried out. Tory froze and watched the slim man. "Nuh-uh, boy. Just give us the goods. Don't want your pretty friend getting hurt now do we?" Diana closed her eyes and said to the man, "In my bag. There are three necklaces. All of priceless jewels. They're yours." The man grabbed her small cloth handbag and dumped it out. The necklaces, all in satin cases, clunked out and fell on the ground along with some money and a handkerchief. The man grabbed the cases, ignoring the money and nodded to the big man. He let Diana go and turned to leave. "Eh-eh…you forgot about the boy, my big friend." The fat man turned around again, with an evil smile. "Yes." He chuckled and ran towards Tory. Tory tensed at the man's approach.  
  
& Julian sprang from his crouch with amazing height and dodged around his opponent. He ignored everything else and focused on making this beast fall. The surprised man turned and lumbered toward Julian. Julian swung his sword toward the man's chest and felt interference. His sword caught on the man's flabby stomach and sliced a deep cut along the man's abdomen. Julian cried out in frustration--the man was supposed to die now! He raced behind the man and slammed his sword into the place between the man's shoulder blades. Immediately, the man began choking on his blood and collapsed. Julian left him for dead. He turned and saw the slim man in front of Diana. Julian raised his sword and prepared to charge them.  
  
& The slim man ran from in front of Diana to behind her and then darted back into the woods, her necklaces with him. Julian, without a second glance at Diana, took off into the woods after him. Diana stared at the dead, fat man in the path before her. She felt her knees give in and she sank to the ground. Tory killed like an animal. Diana glanced into the woods but didn't hear anything. She gathered her goods back into her bag and moved to the side of the road, crouching next to some bushes. She made a small fire and waited for Tory. It grew dark and she saw the moon and stars clearly.  
  
& Julian wiped his sword on the man's prone body and picked up the necklaces. He sheathed his sword and started in the direction of the road. It grew dark and late, but Julian was unaware of the changes as he was still on his adrenaline high. He trudged steadily towards a flickering light off the path. He saw Diana huddled next to a log, her knees drawn to her chest. Julian suddenly returned to his normal self as he saw her head sink onto her chest as she fell asleep. "Diana." He whispered, as he neared her. Her eyes snapped opened and she stared blearily at him. "Ehrghelhmty?" she asked in sleep talk. Julian smiled at her un-focused eyes. "Did you wait up for me?" he asked as he dropped onto one knee beside her. She nodded and closed her eyes again, flopping over onto her side, one arm behind her head, the other resting on her thigh. Julian chuckled and laid down on the other side of the fire. Diana was cute.  
  
& Diana opened her eyes slowly and felt a drip on her nose. She sniffed and listened to the pattering of all her little brothers and sisters running around her room. She rolled over and tried to pull her comforter over her head but only found her dress. "Gimme ma blanke' ba'" she muttered and turned on her stomach. Her cheek scratched against cool, wet dirt and twigs. "Geroff me!" she cried and sat up quickly, expecting to find dirt and twigs on her pillow that her siblings put there. "Wha..?!" she mumbled as her eyes tried to focus on the wet, muddy, world around her. She felt her scratched cheek and noticed it was a bit bloody. "I don't understand.." she muttered to herself and tried to lie down again, expecting the mattress to be there. "Diana. Get up…you're getting dirty." Diana jerked up into a sitting position at the voice and cried, "Huh, what do you...who are…what the mother--." A young man leaned down and stared at her, "Wake up Diana." Diana's eyes suddenly slid into focus and she grinned, "Sorry…I'm not a morning person." She stood up, stretched, and brushed off her dress, when a few drops landed on her head. "What? It's raining." Tory nodded. Diana looked up through the trees and smiled as a few drops of rain landed on her cheeks and nose. She glanced at Tory and smiled. He swallowed and frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked him as he stared hard at her, "You look like you're crying…but you smiled." He murmured as his penetrating gaze raked over her wet cheeks.  
  
  
  
& Julian wasn't aware his gaze made Diana so uncomfortable, nor did he realize his gaze was so powerful. Indeed, many girls of Fanela sighed over Prince Julian's eyes, which made them "melt." He leaned over the fire and covered it with dirt. The rain would take care of the rest. They should probably keep moving so no more thieves-if there were more-would catch them. He didn't like the look on Diana's face, she looked sick. "Are you ok?" he asked as she ran a hand over her forehead. "Yeah…just tired." She looked at Julian, "I'm okay." They started down the path. The rain stopped. Julian kept looking at her, she was like his sister, Sora. Sad, beautiful, mysterious Sora; Hitomi always watched the girl, and would take her away for days to teach her things. Julian, and especially Dilan, were sometimes jealous when this would happen, because Sora would emerge with a secretive smile on her face and Hitomi would nod to King Van, who would smile also and pat Sora's head. King Van was especially proud and loving of Sora, everyone in the kingdom knew she was the apple of his eye. Julian colored slightly and turned away quickly as Diana turned to him. "Whatcha thinkin' `bout?" she asked cautiously; he seemed shy. He shook his head, his face still pinker than it should be, and mumbled, "Nothing important." Diana smiled and replied, "Anything's better than silence, we have a long journey, what were you thinking?" Julian glanced at her.  
  
"My sister. You remind me of her. But you're older." He made sure he controlled the volume of his voice, talking about his family made him upset. Diana sensed this and said, "Do you have a lot of brothers and sisters?" He shook his head no, "I have a younger sister and brother. She's three years younger than me, he's three years younger than her. That's it." He stared at the road ahead, "How about you?" She snorted loudly and said in an annoyed voice, "Which ones do you want? I have nine other brothers and sisters! My twin, who's a guy, then there's the triplets who are 2 years younger than us. My middle sister who's a year younger than the triplets, the other set of twins who are 2 years younger than my sister. My middle brother who's a year younger than the twins, my younger brother is a year younger than the middle brother. My younger sister, she's 2 years younger than the little brother, and when I left home, my mother was pregnant again. I left 4 years ago. She probably has a million more kids." Julian stared at her. "Who are your parents?! Could they afford-"  
  
"Shut up! I know you know I'm princess of Palas!"  
  
"What? You're--"  
  
"I said shut up! I COMMAND you to be quiet!"  
  
Julian shut up.  
  
"You respect authority…I like that."  
  
& Diana was surprised. She hadn't meant to reveal she was princess but it was obvious now, maybe it would come in useful…He was silent, maybe he didn't care. She liked Tory-he was nice, didn't try to impress her, and he didn't care she was a princess. Or did he? "Did you like being a princess?" he asked suddenly. She was caught off guard; "What? Oh! I…it was okay I guess…I mean all that…that…" Diana balled her hands into fists and cried, "I hated it! It was so dumb! I didn't have any purpose but to sit around and look pretty! Mother ran everything with dad, and my brother learned how to become a ruler but me…I had to sit and learn music and writing and all sorts of bullshit. I hated it. And the suitors! Holy mother, they brought so many pretty boys in that didn't have any brains and they were all skin and bones and stupid and GOD! You should not go through something like that! If you ever get into a house of royalty,…get out. You. Will. Hate. it. Period." She stared ahead, tears stinging in her eyes, why had she told him that? But it didn't matter, once they got to Palas she wouldn't see him again. She hoped he wasn't a gossiper. He shook his head again, "I don't know…might be kind of good, don't have to work or anything, could lounge around with your wife everyday and have fun with your kids…"  
  
"They seem to like it." He added in a mutter. Diana stopped walking. "Who likes it?" Tory ignored her and noticed a break in the trees; the forest had ended and they were approaching a field. "Look. We're near Palas," He told her. Diana ran after him and tugged on his shirt, "Who likes it?" she demanded again. He looked down at her and smiled as he watched her frown, "Nothing. If we hurry…we could make it by night." She finally stopped tugging his shirt and nodded. "I don't want to spend another night in the open."  
  
& Julian mentally stabbed himself in the hand, he had almost let slip about Fanela. He had to concentrate on getting her to Palas. Then maybe he'd go home. Or wander some more, it didn't matter, he didn't feel like going home anytime soon. He had silently made a promise to keep her safe and get her to Palas; perhaps King Allen would feel indebted to Fanela and give them something, like a son, then Sora could marry the son and he wouldn't have to come back. Julian noticed Diana fingering her cheek, it was a bit scratched from this morning and because she was irritating it, it had started bleeding again. "Don't do that." He chastised her. He reached for her hand, to make her stop, but she started stroking it with her other hand, "Hey!" he cried and grabbed that hand too. Diana laughed, they were tangled up and she used his hand to scratch her cheek. "Ew!" Julian quickly pulled away and wiped his hands on his pants. She laughed again, "Don't tell me what to do, Tor-ee." He frowned at her, "Seriously, you shouldn't irritate it, it might get infected." She shook her head, "You worry too much." He shook his head also, and muttered something she couldn't hear, but she could bet it was something nasty.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
"No."  
  
"YES! I command you to--"  
  
"NO."  
  
"TORY!"  
  
"I SAID NO! ARE YOU DEAF?!"  
  
"ARE YOU DEAF?!? I SAID I COMMANDED YOU--"  
  
"GO EAT YOUR FACE!"  
  
"MAKE ME!"  
  
"ALRIGHT! I WILL!"  
  
Tory grabbed her arm and shoved her. She stumbled back and caught herself before she fell.  
  
"Gonna play DIRTY, huh?!" she screamed at him.  
  
She wrapped her arms around his stomach and threw him on the ground.  
  
"HEY!" he cried as she landed on top of him and rubbed dirt in his face. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her off him.  
  
"Don't like being BEAT, don't like being DIRTY?! HUH, PRETTY-BOY TORY?!?" she taunted him.  
  
"I'll SHOW you how to fight!" he shouted and rushed her, she was just another enemy.  
  
He knocked her to the ground and she landed with her skirts around her waist, dust rising from where she sat, and a surprised look on her face. Julian blushed automatically at the presence of a lady's bare legs but Diana dove for his leg and tripped him with her arms. He came crashing down and suddenly, she was on top of him again, this time rubbing mud on his cheeks.  
  
"Awww….you look like an UGLY UGLY MUD PUDDLE!"  
  
"GEROFF ME!"  
  
"Make me!"  
  
"FINE!"  
  
He rolled over and now HE was on top. He grabbed her shoulders with one hand and with the other could rub dust in her eyes…her eyes…her…her pretty, brown eyes that had fire glowing in them and her flushed cheeks. He stopped and stared down at her. He was aware that his breath was coming faster and she was staring at him like she wanted to tell him something…he swallowed.  
  
"EXCUSE ME YOUNG MAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THAT LADY?!"  
  
Julian jumped quickly to his feet and faced a troop of soldiers with a commander on a horse; the commander had addressed him.  
  
"I was just…we were…um.."  
  
"We were making out. But you don't need to tell my parents that Gaddes." Diana had gotten up and was brushing off her dress. She went over to the horse and touched the commander's leg.  
  
"Princess Diantha?" cried the man, he jumped from his horse and caught her in his arms. Julian watched uneasily. She laughed. "Yes, Gaddes. This is my er…friend I met on the road. He's been protecting me." Gaddes felt he shouldn't tell the princess this was the Crown Prince of Fanela and by the look on the boy's face, he didn't want to. "Your parents are waiting. Come. I brought a horse…I didn't expect the…er…a friend would be with you." Diana smiled at Julian, "We can ride a horse together, I think. But I get front!" Julian swallowed cautiously and nodded, "I…yeah." Gaddes cocked an eyebrow, "Wow. You're the first one Lady Di has wanted to ride a horse with, consider yourself lucky, lad!" Diana punched Gaddes and he leaped onto his horse, chuckling. "We'll accompany you to Palas, Lady." She nodded and mounted her horse then motioned Julian to hop on after her. He squared his shoulders and grabbed the saddle, mounting behind her. He searched for a place to put his hands then settled for grasping her lightly around her waist. Diana smiled.  
  
& Diana tried to break away from the main roads, because she didn't want to be seen with Tory riding on her back. When they were a couple minutes from the castle Tory whispered, "I have something to tell you…and I didn't really want to come to the castle with you…do you think…?" he trailed off. Diana gave a brisk nod, "When I come into the courtyards, you hop off the horse and take my horse to the stables. Act like a stable boy. When I can, I'll come down and say good-bye." Julian gave a grunt to acknowledge her statement but then muttered, "My sword…" Diana shrugged. He nodded and watched as the heavy gates opened to welcome the princess home. Diana sighed slightly.  
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
"I almost beat you…too bad." She smiled as she remembered his steel gray eyes looking down into her, for one glorious moment, she had almost beaten him.  
  
& Julian hopped down from the horse and helped Diana down. She squeezed his hand slightly and whispered, "Don't leave without saying good-bye." Then she was gone, being swept up in the crowd of soldiers escorting her to the palace. He watched her black hair sway as she climbed the steps of the castle and noticed the dust streaks on her dress, he had caused her to become unsightly for her parents. He mentally kicked himself and led her horse, no their horse, into the stables. He ignored the other stable hands that were busy with the horses and ignoring each other too. Should he go home? Should he stay? He got a brush and gently brushed the horse's mane and sleek coat. He listened as he brushed. The stable boys were talking about the new knights who were going to be interviewed personally by the king, to become the new Knights of Austeria. The king himself had once belonged to this great regiment and had followed the codes of chivalry extremely closely. Julian looked up as two of the stable hands began to get more excited and talked loudly. "I heard you get to fight the king himself! And you have to be able to pilot a guymelef! The king will fight you both in man-to-man, and melef to melef! I don't think I'd be able to withstand a test such as that!" Julian looked down again as a smile crossed his face; this would be a perfect opportunity to test his skills and to stay away from home longer. He could easily take on Allen in swords, or so he thought, and melef wouldn't be that hard. His father had taught him how to pilot Escaflowne and other cavalry guymelefs. He tightened his hand on the brush, he would become a knight of Austeria and leave Fanela forever. He might become a great knight, and be the king's right-man. And Diana would be proud of him, which would be neat. Then maybe she could become a knight, since she didn't like being a princess and they would be the most famous knights in the history of Austeria. He smiled again and nodded to himself, it would be perfect. He had his sword, all he needed was a place to stay, a job, and some money to buy armor. "Hey. Are yeh the new stable hand?" asked a rough voice. Julian looked up quickly, "Umm…do you need one?" The man who had addressed him was dirty looking, with a grungy red beard and twinkling brown eyes. He smiled and the sides of his eyes crinkled. "Yeh! Didn't you see the sign?" he jerked his big calloused thumb towards a door where Julian saw a poster calling for new stable-hands. Julian nodded firmly to the big man and stuck out his hand, "I'm the man." The big man laughed and shook Julian's hand. "I'm Doryken. I'm the head of this stable. There are two other stables but yeh'll be workin' under me. Yeh can live atop the stable with the other stable-hands. This here's tha' children's stable. It's where the kids come to ride, 'specially Lady Diantha. Have yeh come to stay or are yeh just lookin' for a job for the summer?" Julian stared up at the giant man and said, "I'm going to try and become a Knight. That's why I'm here. And I needed a job and stuff, so this is great. I'm Tory by the way." Doryken smiled and stroked his bushy beard thoughtfully, "I reckon you're the man to become a Knight. You're from Fanela, ain't yeh?" Julian swallowed and narrowed his eyes, "What if I am?" Doryken laughed, "No need to get all in a flutter, step into my office if yeh please." He gently shoved Julian into his 'office', which turned out to be an empty stable with high walls and a thick door. Inside were three wooden chairs and a small desk. Doryken took his place behind the desk and motioned for Julian to sit down. He leaned back in his wooden chair and placed his folded hands on top of his large, leather clad stomach.  
  
"How did you know I was from Fanela?" asked Julian cautiously, he didn't want to reveal EVERYTHING. "Yeh're accent. Everyone knows Fanelains talk funny. But yeh got a kind'er funny Fanelian accent. Kinda like these kings and queens in th' palace, high and mighty with perfect grammar and such. Besides, I been to Fanela before, beautiful country, and I seen the King and Queen, and their sons and daughter. Why aren't yeh in Fanela, Prince?" Julian stood up straight, to his full height of 5'11" and replied in a determined tone, "I'm not prince Julian. I'm Tory and I'm going to be a Knight of Austeria. You can't reveal my secret, Doryken, please! I need to stay here. I don't want to become king--" Doryken held up a giant hand, "Yeh can't run from your responsibilities, Tory. Yeh have to be king, what will happen to yeh're country? What about yeh're parents, and yeh're people?" Julian stared at him with pleading eyes and whispered, "Please, Doryken…"  
  
"Yeh have to go back."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'll make a deal with you. I'll stay here for a bit, get used to Palas and its people. I'll try to become a Knight of Austeria. If I make it, you get to keep what I've earned as a stable-hand. If I don't, you still get to keep what I made from being a stable-hand and I'll go home. Either way, you win."  
  
Doryken closed his eyes reflectively and stroked his beard. He loved money…and the boy didn't seem to be so troublesome, he'd be useful and such.  
  
"Alright," Doryken sighed. Julian smiled triumphantly. "I won't let you down, Sir." Doryken shook his head and smiled, "If yeh're going to be a stable-hand yeh'll have to look like it…we'll change yeh're hair color and get yeh some clothes. I'll call one of the hands to tell yeh where the room is. Work starts today. Come in here so we can dye your hair." Julian nodded and followed Doryken. A half-hour later, he was dismissed, this time as raven-haired boy. Doryken chuckled to himself as Julian left, "Not Prince Julian! Heh heh, that boy. I can't wait for my money. He'll make it alright."  
  
& Julian stepped out of Doryken's room and was greeted by the sight of a young female, about his age, holding a small pitchfork. "Are yeh the new boy?" she asked as she eyed him, his stable-boy clothes and his sword. He nodded. "I'm Kira. I'm ta take ya to the common room and show yeh around. Yeh'll be working next to me." Julian nodded again and fell into step with her. She had thick brown hair that fell to her waist. It was pulled back with a leather wrap and there were several braids in it to keep it off her face. Her almond eyes were a shocking gold-yellow color. She was wearing tan pants that were tucked into shin-high leather boots, and a forest-green shirt that was tied up to mid-chest and was left open to reveal her thin neck and curved chest. She was also wearing brown leather gloves that were badly stained and a bit ripped. "Yeh got a name?" she asked after a couple minutes of silence. Julian glanced down at her, "I'm Tory." She nodded and eyed his sword again, "Yeh here to become a knight?" He was a bit startled but he replied, "Yes. I'm probably not going to be here for long." Kira laughed, "Who is? I'm trying to become a knight too, but I don't have a sword as fine as that!" They were going up a large spiral staircase and encountered a burly teenage boy. He was dark-skinned and was taller than Julian. "Hey Kee-raaa…when are yeh gonna let me touch those beautiful buns of yours?" Kira shoved him hard enough that he tumbled down a few stairs and called after him, "When horses can talk and I can fly!" Julian smiled as he heard a roar of laughter below them. "I can arrange it honey! Just come up to the roof with me!" Kira shook her head and said, "That's Ron. He's a complete perv. We all love him though." They walked into a large wooden room with bunk beds along one side and old broken chairs, couches and tables along another. Some boys were playing flutes or strumming guitars. Others were clustered around gambling games. Julian could see a few girls scattered throughout the gathering, but not as many as boys. "The boys and girls share the same dorm, just to let you know. But everyone's practically related. Doryken doesn't allow affectionate displays in the stables so you'll probably see all the stuff you don't want to in here, or on the roof. I believe your bunking with Dirn." She pointed to one bunk with a thin, blond boy sitting on the top bunk who appeared to be asleep. Julian smiled at Kira and said, "Thanks. I'll see you around." She smiled too and joined a group of girls and boys who were gathered around one redhead boy who was talking animatedly. They were waiting to go downstairs to start their workday. Julian walked over to his bunk and was pleased to see a small trunk at the foot of his bunk, everyone had one, with a lock. He took of his sword and scabbard but left his belt on and locked them securely in the trunk. He then stood up and spoke to Dirn; "Hi. I'm Tory. I'm your new bunk-mate." Dirn stared at him for a second through half-opened eyes then closed them again. "`Lo." He mumbled. Julian decided to let him sleep and he made his way to the staircase, preparing to start his new life as a stable-hand.  
  
~END PART 1~ 


	2. Julian is a Stable Boy

~PART 2~  
  
& Julian hefted the bale of hay onto his back and made sure it was tied securely. He then jumped down from the hay loft through the hay shaft and landed in a mound of straw and old hay. "AHG! TORY!" screamed Ron. He backed up so fast he tripped and fell over Kira. "Damnit Ron!" she cried and shoved him so landed upside down. Tory laughed, "I guess I startled him. And I thought he was a big brave hero!" Everyone laughed at Ron, who was being nosed by a new colt. "Yeah, yeah…Can you help me up?" Julian gave him a hand up and continued down the hallway to the third set of stalls. Ron stuck his tongue out at Julian's retreating back. "God. That kid is annoying. He always screws me up." Everyone laughed, "I think you're just afraid of him, Ron," taunted Kira. Ron blushed and stuttered, "Look, just shut up. We have to work." Everyone got back to work.  
  
& Julian smiled as he loaded the bale of hay into the horse's stall. He patted the mare's nose and stroked the colt's mane. "Beautiful." He murmered. He picked up the bucket and went outside to fill it. Clouds were in the brillant blue sky and somewhere a bird sang. He didn't notice the figure standing in the doorway. He dipped the bucket in the water and heaved it back to the stall, where he dumped it into the trough. He squatted to watch the horse and her son drink. The mare snorted into the water as the colt splashed in, filling his nostrils with the new feeling of water. Julian pushed him back, "Careful…don't want to drown." He watched peacefully as they drank quietly. He tilted his head back and listened to the morning sounds; Kira shouting at Ron, Doryken yelling at some new hands, the horses and their new foals nudging around their stalls for breakfast. It had been a year since he had come to Palas, and the Knight Trials were fast approaching, perhaps 3 or 4 weeks. "Attention for the princess!" shouted a rough voice, pulling Julian out of his thoughts. "What?" he mumbled and quickly stood up. "Princess Diantha?" he whispered as he watched the princess approach him with four palace guards. "Goodmorning. I would like a morning ride. Do you think…?" She didn't speak to him long. 'Why would she?' Julian thought, 'I don't look the same. I'm not even supposed to be here.' He bowed slightly and moved to the nearest stall, where the princess' favorite mare lived. "No." she said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want her today. Do you have a large, distance stallion?"  
  
"Of course, princess. This way." He led them to a stall where the newest stallion resided. He was a beautiful animal, with a black coat dappled with grey spots and a thick, unruly mane. "He's our newest animal…but he's the best, calm and heeds to your every word. You'll like him, princess." Commented Julian gently. The princess glanced at him, and for a second, her eyes widened in realization. She tilted her head, "Thank you…master…?"  
  
"Tory."  
  
"Tory…"  
  
He waited for her to mount. She didn't. "Guards. Please tell my parents I have gone for a ride. I'll arrive home at noon, in time for the ceremony."  
  
"Yes, my lady!"  
  
"Right away!"  
  
Diana turned to Julian. "Would you assist me in mounting, Master Tory?" He smiled and kneeled so she could stand on his thigh. She placed her foot on his outstretched thigh and stared down at him, her fingers grasping his shoulder for support. Then she gave a quick leap and was up in the saddle. "I expect you to be here to take my horse when I return. Good day." She called as she rode away. Julian watched her leave by the Palace's west gates. "`Bye." He murmered.  
  
& Kira stomped on Ron's hand for the second time of the morning. "STOP BOTHERING ME RON, CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?!" she yelled at him. He blushed and shrugged then trugded in the direction Tory was coming from. Tory was walking with his hands in his pockets and he looked like he was thinking hard about something. He watched Ron stomp away and shook his head then turned toward the hay loft. Kira watched as he climbed nimbly into the loft and listened as he picked up another bale and tied it to his back. She waited for the running jump and thud of him landing in the old pile of straw but all she heard was silence. Kira looked up at the golden brown floorboards and watched the sun flicker through. Early-morning sunlight always flickered through the boards and lit up the work-room. "Tory?" she called hesitantly. She heard floorboards creak and the shuffle of feet walking towards the open barn window. "Tory?" she called again as she walked quickly towards the ladder. She climbed as fast as she could and peeked over the top of the trapdoor. Tory was sitting, bent over, on the bale of hay staring at the newly risen sun, his hands clasped on his knees, his chin touching his hands. "Hey." She said softly. He didn't move but his eyes had a new light glowing in them she hadn't noticed before. She walked cautiously to him and tapped him on his shoulder, "You okay?" He closed his eyes slowly and stood up. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and shoved her to the open barn window. She cried out and clutched to his hand that was gripping her arm. He let her hang out the window, which was two stories higher than the ground and he growled, "What do you see?!" She gulped at the look in his maniac eye and stared at the ground.  
  
"I see, Ron and Doryken..an..and--"  
  
"NO! Look beyond Palas! What do you see?"  
  
"Forests…and meadows--"  
  
"WHAT ELSE?!"  
  
Kira strained her eyes to see what he was looking at.  
  
"I..I don't know…The sky…clouds."  
  
"Yes." He pulled her back in the window and let her fall gratefully to the floor. "Clouds. Free, floating clouds." He stood looking at the clouds and whispered, "I was free once. When I was with her." He turned suddenly, gathered the bale of hay and jumped down from the loft into the stables below. Kira stared after him, she had never seen him so violent. He was her age, a mere sixteen, but she had seen him in action. And now she knew he was capable of murder. She grasped her arm where he had held her and flinched. "I can't tell…he didn't mean it…" she murmered.  
  
& Julian sat on the wooden bench outside the stables holding his sword. It was nearing noon and he hadn't apologized to Kira yet. He didn't think he should, she would just be more scared of him. He turned his sword so the sunlight glinted off of it and stood up. He glanced around the barn yard but it was deserted, everyone was inside eating lunch. Lunch. He snorted at the thought, who needed food when all you needed was yourself and your sword? He shook his head and cleared his mind of all thoughts. The fence was in need of repair but he would fix it after he destroyed it.  
  
"RAGGGHH!" he yelled and attacked the fence as if it was an army of soldiers. He sliced its arms off neatly and jammed his sword through its gut, on to the next soldier. This one he cut its legs off and some splinters rammed theirselves into his cheek. He didn't flinch but continued hacking away at the fence until all was left was a pile of wood. He stood there for a few seconds, gasping for breath, shoulders rising and falling. He stood up straight, bowed to the fence and re-sheathed the sword after wiping splinters of wood off it. It was then he felt the wood in his cheek. A single hand-clap was heard to his left. He inhaled and drew his sword, facing his opponet. His sword suddenly found itself held up the the neck of a young, dark haired man with deep brown eyes. The youth wore fancy riding clothes and a plumed hat.  
  
"Majesty!" exclaimed Julian as he quickly lowered his sword and bowed quickly, his sword in front of his knee.  
  
"No, no! Continue!" cried the young prince, "Chivalry declares we battle, since you drew steel against me!" The youth drew his sword and took a stance. Julian inhaled and glanced around, stable-hands, guards and Doryken had gathered to watch. "Your highness, I cannot fight you…you are royalty and I am but a simple stable-hand. I have no chance against you." He muttered. The prince raised an eyebrow, "You would not have thrown your sword against my neck in defense if you did not think you were worthy to fight. I have been watching you, you will be an excellent opponent!" He leapt into battle, sword aimed for Julian's sword hand. Julian darted back and raised his sword in defense. Steel clanged on steel and sparks flew as he pressed against the prince's attack. "Strong…" grunted the prince through gritted teeth. They were equal in height, Julian was now six foot one, and the prince was just an inch taller than him. Julian ripped out of the locked sword embrace and ran to the opposite side of the yard, he couldn't let his senses get the better of him, he had to remain in control. "Prince, please, let us stop, please surrender!" he cried over his shoulder, he could feel the effects of the adrenaline taking control of his body, his mind…  
  
"Never!" screamed the prince and threw himself at Julian. Julian again blocked the blow and forced the prince back. He reached out his sword and nicked the prince on his arm. "What?" cried the surprised prince as he looked at the pin-prick of blood forming on his white sleeve. Julian jabbed again at the prince, this time blindly because he could feel the super-charged adrenaline filling in the gaps in his mind, making him super- alert and on guard. "One. Last. Chance." He growled at the prince. The prince narrowed his eyes and roared, "I WILL FIGHT YOU FOREVER!" He blocked Julian's blow and retaliated with one of his own, but missed Julian's foot lashing out and suddenly, Prince Allen II found himself lying in horse manure in a barnyard. Julian had tripped him and now held the prince's sword in his left hand. With his right, he held his own sword which was pressed against the small life-vein that pulsed gently in the prince's throat. "Do. You. Surrender. Prince Allen?" whispered Julian hoarsly. The prince nodded in fright. Julian threw the prince's sword on the muddy ground and walked away. Everyone stared as he resheathed his sword and turned to walk back to the stable-boy quarters. Suddenly hoofbeats sounded on the packed earth. Everyone turned as Princess Diantha rode into the yard and rode up to Julian. She stared at his bloody cheek and at his icy gray eyes. They were still the same Tory eyes, even though his hair color had changed. "Excuse me, could you help me down and take my horse in to stable?" Tory turned and looked up at her for the second time that day, "Of course, my lady." He offered her his hand and she slid down the stallion's flank. Diana landed gracefully and touched his shoulder lightly then walked towards the breezeway that led to the palace's entrance. The prince sat up and watched his sister. He then glanced at the stable-hand who had beat him and threw his head back as he laughed. "That's TOO much!" he chuckled and lay back on the ground, clutching his sides and laughing. "Sister! Sister come here!" Diana paused and turned around, "Brother?!" she cried and ran to him.  
  
"That man who just helped you and took your horse, HE BEAT ME IN SWORDS!!" the prince threw back his head and laughed again. Diana looked at him and glanced at Tory's retreating back. "Are you alright?" she asked Allen. He nodded and said, "Help me up, lovely Diana." She threw his arm over her shoulder and helped him up. "Come, let us go talk to this young man, he should be in the first round of Kinght Trials, he is wonderful!" Diana stared at her brother, aghast and mumbled, "Alright…" They walked after Julian and Diana called, "Tory!" They found him brushing down the stallion and letting the big horse nibbled on his raven colored, unruly hair. He turned at Diana's voice. Julian bowed quickly to the crown prince and princess of Palas.  
  
"Yes…majesties? Can I help you?"  
  
Prince Allen II spoke to him,  
  
"I want you to come to the Palace and meet my father, I believe he'll take you on right now for Knight Trials! You'd be perfect for the Kinghts of Austeria!" Julian narrowed his eyes at the prince, "I would wait until I am scheduled to fight!" The prince shook his head violently, "NO! My father will fight you now, I can get you out of these stables and into the palace as one of the King's personal Knights! You're that good." Tory turned away and stroked the stallion's mane as he thought. This was his dream and he'd be close to Diana. He turned his head and looked into her eyes, she shrank under his glance. He smiled and nodded "Alright, I'll come with you." The prince's face lit up and he hobbled over to Julian, clapping his hand on Julian's shoulder. "Wonderful! Come now!"  
  
& Julian found himself walking through the corridors of the palace. It was much bigger than Fanela's palace but wasn't as beautiful. Finally, they arrived in the throne room. Before Julian stood the King and Queen's throne chairs, upon which the king and queen sat. Standing to their left were their advisors, who looked up sharply as they entered the room. Standing to the right were two other people of royalty, though he was too far away to see who it was. They seemed to be talking with King Allen and Queen Millerna. All looked up as the royal twins and a stable-boy walked into the room. "Father," called the prince, "I have brought you your new right-hand man!" He strode gallantly forward and made a sweeping bow, pausing to kiss his mother's hand. King Allen stood up and walked down the steps towards Diana and Julian. Diana gave him a little shove in the throne's direction and walked to her mother. Julian bowed to the king and stood up straight as he approached.  
  
"I understand you're my newest knight, you defeated my son in combat?"  
  
Julian gave a brisk nod, keeping his eyes straight ahead, he was watching that couple whom was standing to the right of Millerna, they looked familiar.  
  
"I can fight you know, if you wish to test your guymelef skills."  
  
"I would like for my skills to be tested, sir. I have no guymelef."  
  
"It is no matter, I will provide one for you."  
  
"Thank you, majesty."  
  
"You are not from here, are you? Your accent…"  
  
Julian stiffened and replied quietly, "I would rather not talk about my past, sir."  
  
Allen nodded and turned away, back toward the throne. "Come boy, and meet the king and queen of Fanela! They are here to watch the Knight Trials with their daughter and remaining son." He gestured to Julian and Julian walked towards King Allen, keeping his head down and nodding slightly to his parents. He heard Queen Hitomi inhale sharply and heard his father clear his throat. "Well, go on boy…" said King Allen. Julian looked at Diana and her brother and then walked to his parents. He kneeled before them and placed his sword in front of King Van's feet.  
  
"My sword, presented to King and Queen of Fanela. Father. Mother." He said hoarsly. He heard what he didn't want to hear, Diana gasped, and the prince cried out. He felt his mother kneel beside him and felt her warm, comforting arms around his neck. "Mother...please…" he whispered as he felt her warm tears mingle with his. But he succumbed to her warmth and grasped her around her waist and hugged her. His mother was holding him and that was all that mattered now. "Can you forgive me?" he choked.  
  
She pulled away, tears sliding away from her smile, "We thought you were dead…Dilan was going to have to become King…Sora was upset, no, devasted and your father…"  
  
"That will be enough Hitomi." Thundered King Van. Julian helped his mother to her feet and faced his father. He avoided King Van's angry eyes and looked at the ground, but he felt Hitomi's comforting hand on his arm and forced himself to look his father in the eye.  
  
"Father."  
  
"Julian Tory de Fanel."  
  
"Father…please forgive me."  
  
"No."  
  
"What…" Julian watched as King Van's fierce eyes glowed with tears.  
  
"You must forgive me…I knew I was what made you leave Fanela."  
  
Julian laughed suddenly and cried, "You?! How could my father do such a thing!" He walked to his father and hugged him, something he hadn't done in over ten years. He felt his father's strong arms around his back and knew it was all right. A last pat on the back and the Fanelian men pulled away. Julian stood up straight in between his parents, towering over Hitomi and just level with his father. They faced the King, Queen, and the royal twins.  
  
"King and Queen of Austeria, may I present our son, Julian Tory de Fanel." Said Queen Hitomi grandly. King Allen bowed to him and Queen Millerna curtsied to him as Millerna replied, "Crown Prince Julian Tory de Fanel, I want to introduce Crown Prince Allen the 2nd and his sister, Princess Diantha." Julian bowed to Prince Allen, who bowed to him, and took Diana's hand, who curtsied to him. He kissed her gently on the hand, as he knew he should have done the first time they had met and said, "An honor, your majesties." He bowed his way back down the steps and stood next to his parents.  
  
& Everything was going to be different, Julian knew. Diana may or may not treat him the same. One thing was for sure, he wouldn't know the carefree life again. No more early, peaceful mornings with the horses of the castle's stable. Regardless of whether he made a Knight or not, his parents, especially Van, would insist on his immediate return to Fanela. He still had to become king. Julian scrunched his eyes shut and kneaded his hands into his forehead. He was lying in his bed sometime after 3 in the morning. It had been decided, by the "majesties", not him, that tomorrow would be the day of his trials, or officially, "Crown Prince Julian of Fanela against King Allen I!"  
  
Julian groaned and turned over on his stomach. Everything was going in the wrong direction. Now, his life was being run by monarchs again. As a regular guy, he could make his own desicions about where he lived, who he chose for friends, what he did with his money, and most importantly, choose for himself what FRICKING DAY HE WANTED TO FIGHT KING ALLEN. Julian threw back the covers and sat on the edge of his plush, satin, silk, GOD-FORSAKEN ROYAL BED. He stood up and paced as he felt his anger build. It would boil over soon, and he would have to fight. "Stay calm," he whispered to himself, "Save it for the battle today." He couldn't concentrate enough to keep himself calm. He grabbed his sword from where it hung and pulled on his boots, ignoring his shirt or good pants, shabby ones would do for his purpose. All he wanted to do was get to stables and get back his old work clothes; they would be more useful in the guymelef tomorrow, not royal clothes. He stepped onto the balcony and froze as the wind whipped his hair behind him. This castle was higher than he thought. He stared at the faraway ground and smiled, then stepped off the balcony.  
  
& Diana sat at her windowseat, knees drawn to her chest. She hadn't always been an insomniac, but after she retured to Palas, she couldn't sleep. It was the same day to day pattern she hated. And the tension had grown since she had last left. Because of her departure so long ago, her mother had miscarried and become barren. Diana wasn't really to blame, but her family was more distant than ever. Except for the Allens, her brother and father, they were the only two who didn't blame her and who seemed as if they cared. Riding horses, to escape Palas life, to escape her mother, her family, was what she did now that she was back. Diana stared hard at the moon as tears formed in the corners of her eyes; she had asked to leave again a couple months after she had gotten home, to go out again and "visit" relatives, but mother had forbidden her to leave Palas' boundries. Queen Millerna had said it was time Princess Diantha stayed at home and waited for a prince, count or king to come and marry her. Diana could no longer go for long day rides, she had to stay inside Palas' walls. It wasn't any fun being who she was, why couldn't it all end? When she could choose where she wanted to go and when, that had been a real life. Diana looked steadily out the window and watched the balcony, there was a small plant swaying in the breeze, it was windy out. She got up and walked to the balcony door, slowly opened it, and stared into the night. Diana moved quietly to the edge of the balcony and curled her small, white, princess hands around the wrought iron barriar. She frowned and raked her palms and the back of her hands along the rusty iron. Blood seeped form the shallow cuts but that was enough, as long as they weren't pretty princess hands anymore. She glanced around at the sleeping Palas and moved her hands to her sides, careful not to stain her night gown. The barriar was only waist high, easy to climb over and off to the roof, or just to jump. Jump. Diana's eyes widened at the thought. She hadn't really thought of that. It was an intriging thought. A white feather gently brushed her cheek. Another floated past, riding the wind, and there went another and another! Diana looked around her, craning her neck to watch every one that floated past. It was like a storm of feathers. She reached out and grabbed one. "Beautiful…" she murmered. As she watched the storm of feathers, she thought of her wish for it to end.  
  
"I could do it…I could finally make my wish come true."  
  
"No."  
  
"What? Who's there?!" Diana searched the roofs, and looked up, but all around her were feathers, they were too thick.  
  
"You can't stop me, whoever you are. Only I can stop myself and I don't want to."  
  
Diana placed her foot on the first wrung of the fence. Then she flung herself off the balcony.  
  
"DIANA!" called the voice.  
  
& Flying wasn't so bad. Dying? She didn't know about that. She didn't know what it felt like to die, but she would soon known. She spread her arms as her pearly blue nightgown rippled around her, she was free-falling stomach down toward the cobbled streets of Palas. Tears lashed at her eyes as the result of the screaming wind but Diana laughed. Something was invading her happiness.  
  
"diana…!"  
  
Someone was calling her, faintly, but urgently.  
  
"Diana!"  
  
It was closer now. It was clearer.  
  
'Go away' she thought. 'leave me alone.'  
  
"DIANA!"  
  
Now it was right in her ear, screaming, ripping her back into reality.  
  
She felt warm, strong hands around her waist and suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore, she was going backwards. She squirmed.  
  
"Let me go!"  
  
"Never!"  
  
"What are you doing?! STOP IT!"  
  
She twisted her head and saw--  
  
"Tory?"  
  
Julian flipped her so she was facing him and gathered her in his arms, hugging her.  
  
"What the heck were you doing?!" he whispered hoarsly in her ear. Diana's eyes widened at his voice. She roughly pushed him away, "I didn't ask for you to save me, you stupid Crown Prince of Fanela!" Julian looked at her sadly, but flew higher—  
  
"You can fly?!" gasped Diana as she realized what was going on. He set her on her balcony.  
  
"I'm sorry Diana. I…" he glanced at her, this time with sorrow and regret, and then he flew away and that's when Diana saw his white wings. She turned her nose in the air and walked into her room, slamming the door shut. Julian hovered for a bit, watching the door, but he turned again and headed in the direction of the stables. Diana's door flew open and she screamed after Julian,  
  
"YOU'VE GOT WINGS JULIAN TORY DE FANEL! GET BACK OVER HERE!"  
  
& Julian touched down on the roof of the stable-hands' common room and nodded to Diana. He crept forward, with Diana right behind him.  
  
"Tell me again why we're here?" she hissed at him. He motioned wildly for her to be quiet and quickly dropped to his knees next to a skylight. Diana watched him ease it into an upright position and she held it for him while he jumped down into the room. It was nearing sunrise and Diana couldn't see Julian. She heard only the soft thuds of his feet and many, many snores. A sudden creak, bang and "What the--?!" and Julian came flying out of the skylight. He slammed the skylight shut, grabbed Diana's crust blooded hand and ran in the direction of the barn. A large gap was between the barn and common room stables, and Diana was a bit worried about that, but Julian didn't hesitate, he threw their bodies across the divide and they landed with a sliding thud on the barn's roof. As they started sliding backwards, Diana cried out as she lost her balance and grabbed Julian around his waist. She was on her back, her feet closest to the edge, slowly sliding towards the end. She was stretched out, her head braced against Julian's thigh, he was standing upright, straining to pull both of them to a safe distance away from the edge. "Julian…" murmered Diana fretfully as she watched her feet disappear over the edge. "Hold. On." He grunted and suddenly, his wings were back, and Diana hadn't even seen how, she had blinked, and they took off into the night, Julian slowly pulling Diana up off his waist. "Hold this, while I hold you." He said to her and handed her some stained, leather pants and a brown shirt. She held on to them tightly with one hand and with her other, she grasped him around his shoulders.  
  
"Do I have to go home now?" she muttered as she watched the sun creep over the horizon.  
  
"We all have to go home…I have to defeat your father today. Then I'll become a Knight and leave Palas."  
  
"Leave? But if you're a Knight?"  
  
"My parents still need me…in Fanela. I wanted to be Knight for me, become famous and earn honor, but now, I have to become a Knight to honor my country."  
  
"Can't it be an honor for you too?"  
  
"Not now. Not since my PARENTS have decided my future again."  
  
"Julian."  
  
"I was doing it for ME…it's not the same."  
  
"No, I guess not."  
  
"I don't know how you'd understand."  
  
"I can try and understand."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Here we are, princess. I bid you, good morning."  
  
"I'll see you later, right?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Julian!"  
  
"Okay…maybe…"  
  
"JULIAN!"  
  
"Fine. I'll see you later."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Can we fly again, some other time…?"  
  
Pause.  
  
"Perhaps…princess…perhaps."  
  
"Julian…?"  
  
"I will see you later, Diana, I promise."  
  
"Ok…"  
  
Diana watched Julian soar into the early morning sky.  
  
"I would give anything to have wings…to fly away from here. Well, almost anything."  
  
& Julian sat in Escaflowne's cockpit. The sun was already at its highest and it was steadily getting hotter, it would be worse while he was fighting. He sighed loudly as he waited for King Allen to appear; he had been waiting for over half an hour.  
  
"Come ON!" he cried. Hitomi, Van, Sora and little Dilan were sitting in the royal box, with the rest of the majesties of Palas: Millerna, Diana and Allen II, the children. The stands weren't full to overflowing, but there were quite a few spectators; they were mostly people from the palace, stables and a couple hundred townespeople. Hitomi leaned forward and called to her son, "Be patient! Channel your energy…wait!" Julian closed his eyes and tried to relax, but just then, he heard and felt the thuds of a melef's footsteps. "The Sheczar`d" he whispered tensely. King Allen raised his right arm, his sword arm, swung his cape over his shoulder and roared, "Let it begin!" The stands erupted and the majesties clutched the arms of their chairs. Julian lowered his brows, "begin…"  
  
& Their swords clanged together in a shower of sparks and pieces of metal. Julian grinded his teeth as he fought hard, pushing with all his strength, he would lose himself in this battle, things would happen. They broke away and Julian swung Escaflowne's sword with all his might, aiming for Allen's energist. Allen swiftly blocked the blow, and smiled inside his guymelef; the boy fought like Van, this would be easy. Julian retreated a few steps and waited for Allen to retaliate. Allen narrowed his eyes, this boy thought and acted at the same time, something Van wouldn't do but…this was Hitomi's child, also. Allen took the challenge and bore confidently down on Escaflowne, meaning to swing his sword backward and trip him so he would fall and then it would be over. But Escaflowne avoided the attack, and ran to the left, the way the attack was coming from!  
  
"Foolish boy!" cried Allen, losing himself for an instant.  
  
"Ah! Not so foolish!" replied Julian and smiled.  
  
Allen felt a hard blow on his right side, "What the--" He ran forward and faced Julian again.  
  
"Clever…" he murmered; Julian had drawn his attention to the left then had shot something, a spear, small knife, or claw at Allen's right side. Allen swung his sword but Julian nimbly blocked it. The boy was strong, supple and smart. Allen smiled but pushed harder on the sword and he felt the boy weaken.  
  
"NOPE, SORRY NOT THIS TIME!" roared Julian and, Allen-surpirsed-lost his concentration. Julian let go of blocking Allen altogther, and ran out of the way of the falling guymelef. Allen's melef crashed to the ground, but grabbed Escaflowne's cape just as he went. Julian tripped and fell also. He heard his father's laughter from far away and grinned as he saw his father clutching his sides and pointing at the twisted up melefs on the ground.  
  
"SWORDS!" cried Allen. Julian opened up Escaflowne and hopped onto the ground, pulling the wires that had attached him to Escaflowne off. He drew his sword and waited for Allen, again. He got impatient and ran to the fallen Sheczar`d. Allen was climbing out.  
  
"Wait…wait…don't attack him blind…" he muttered to himself. Allen hopped from the guymelef to the ground and drew his sword.  
  
"Today. We fight. I am eager, Julian Tory de Fanel."  
  
& Diana leaned forward as her father bore down on Tory-Julian. She kept calling him Tory. They were almost equal in height, her father being just a bit taller than Julian. It was exciting watching this battle, all the others were meant for her attention, the ones with the suitors in their armor and ribbons, fighting for her. But this one, this was two people she cared for, and anything could happen in swords, although she knew Allen wasn't supposed to kill his oppenent, it was scary. She had seen her father fight many times before, and this was the first in which he looked truly interested and even a bit vexed. Julian wasn't graceful in his fighting, like Allen, he was vicious and sly. He could fight. She had seen that on the road when they had been travelling together. But he was fighting differently here, with more control. She watched him dodge and skip out of the way of Allen's sword and realized he was playing defense for a while…leading her father on. He finally attacked, bringing his sword up and he was immediately met by Allen's sword. Julian swung away and attacked on the other side, and this blow was met with such force that everyone actually heard the screeching metal and saw the sparks dancing off the two swords. Julian gritted his teeth and bore down. Diana closed her eyes and whispered, "Julian…" He was so powerful and gentle. She heard a roar, looked down, and gasped, her throat closing. Julian's arm was spurting blood; the king had scraped his arm badly. He was still standing, clutching his sword and Diana knew this time, it would happen, he would start fighting like Tory, king of the forest, not Julian, prince of Fanela. Julian would become a killer. Allen was breathing heavily, he hadn't meant to do that, and it was clumsy, very clumsy, for him to make his oppenent bleed. Julian looked darkly up through his shaggy bangs at the King.  
  
"That hurt." He growled at Allen, and then charged him. Allen raised his sword defensely but for some reason was too slow and Julian caught his sword and it almost flew out of his hand. Allen regained his balance and there was Julian again, attacking harder with each blow. Allen blocked each thrust and could start to feel the adreneline wear off. Damn. Julian gave a final thrust and Allen parried the blow, forcing Julian to come in close. Allen tried to knock Julian off his sword but Julian held on and they were locked togther, in a battle of strength.  
  
"Give up?" whispered Julian delightedly to the king.  
  
"No. I'm just getting started," returned the King angrily. They broke apart, Julian with a crazy grin and blood soaked left arm, Allen with sweat on his face and an angry smirk. They swung their swords at the same time and Julian gasped as he felt a tingle run through his arms while their swords connected. He was holding his sword with two hands while Allen was more noble, using only his sword hand. Allen looked surprised also. Their swords began to feel hot, then red hot pain shot up through the sword and Julian could feel his fingers, hands, arms, they all burned with a searing white hot pain. Julian quickly broke their struggle and stared at his sword and his left hand. "What is this..?" he muttered as he saw white shapes that danced on his hand. He awoke suddenly as Allen cried out and saw the King on the ground, clutching his right hand. "King?" he asked and rushed to the king's side. Diana and Millerna both stood up in the box. Julian squatted next to the kneeling king and placed a hand on the king's shoulder.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"My…hand…"  
  
Julian examined Allen's right hand and gasped, white bubbles were boiling across the king's flesh.  
  
"What?!" Julian gently touched one and it exploded, sending steam everywhere.  
  
Allen screamed in pain, closing his eyes. Julian muttered, "whoops…sorry about that. We have to get you to a doctor. You're burning." He glanced around and thought, 'with an invisible fire…how the hell did he get these burns?' he hoisted the king up and they slowly walked to an exit of the arena. Suddenly the crowd gasped and several shrieked. Julian swung around and watched as Escaflowne stood up and stretched its hands to Julian. Julian gently dropped the king down and turned to Escaflowne. He drew his sword, as if that would do any good, and held his ground; Escaflowne advanced and bent down. It reached its hand to Julian and pink light engulfed its energist and body. As Julian watched, a wind rose and whipped his hair around, and Escaflowne froze. He narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong.  
  
& "Julian!" screamed Hitomi and pulled Van to his feet, "Van…Escaflowne is leaving! We have to stop it!" Van, confused cried, "It can't disappear again! HITOMI WAIT!" But Hitomi was dashing down the stairs to her son. Sora stood up and walked to the edge of the railing, bending over Diana. She looked straight at Escaflowne and whispered, "De cravi esca letisimo, de quantain la finde reve." Escaflowne froze, the pink light spun around its energist then disppeared, and Hitomi stopped running and came back up. Sora smiled and sat back down, ignoring Diana's stare. Julian watched as Escaflowne sank down, right on top of him; he gasped, and Escaflowne caught itself. "Lucky for Julian, he would have been crushed if the guymelef had continued," murmered Sora to her father.  
  
& Van was watching tensely, something was wrong, this was complete déjà vu. He remembered the first time he had met Hitomi. It had happened this way. Water suddenly poured out of Escaflowne's chest, showering Julian. It was the after-battle coolant that guymelef's naturally generated. He put up his hands and watched in amazement as its chest began to open again. He looked up and something fell on top of him, they both crashed to the ground.  
  
~END PART 2~ 


	3. Julian Loves&Leaves

1 BACK AGAIN LA LA LA…  
  
& "VAN!" screamed Hitomi as she saw the girl fall out of Escaflowne.  
  
& Millerna tensed and stood up, "So that's how it happened," she murmured.  
  
& Diana watched, shocked, as Julian sat up with a girl their age on top of him. She was clutching his leather-clad shoulders and she looked astonished.  
  
& The girl was wearing a school uniform, red and blue, and she had shoulder length blonde hair. Hitomi swallowed as she realized what she and Van must have looked like. She could see Julian questioning the girl and the girl scooting away from him, coming to a rest a few feet away, kneeling on the ground. Hitomi watched dazedly as Julian stood up and asked the girl something more but she shook her head. He stared at her a minute longer but suddenly Escaflowne's energist was glowing again and the pink light was back. Escaflowne rose up, and disappeared, forming a brilliant speck of light that rose into the sky.  
  
& Hitomi watched the speck disappear, would it go to the girl, to her, Hitomi…? She turned to Van who was watching his son and the girl with awe. He turned to Hitomi.  
  
"Is that…how you were? Scared? And I was so…angry…" Hitomi smiled faintly and rushed to her husband, grasping him tightly around his waist. He hugged her back and whispered, "I'm sorry Hitomi…"  
  
"For what?"  
  
"I must have scared you so much…"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I know…I love you, too, Hitomi."  
  
"Escaflowne's gone…Julian must find him. Then he can return to our kingdom."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's his test."  
  
Van stared at his wife.  
  
"Mother! Everyone's leaving and medics are taking King Allen to an operating room! His wounds are serious!"  
  
Van and Hitomi looked at Sora and Hitomi replied, "You take Dilan and go to the Palace. We need to stay with Julian." Sora nodded and took Dilan's hand; he was watching his parents; he jerked his hand away and retorted, "I'm big. I don't need you." Van frowned at his son and Dilan meekly followed Sora down the steps. They both turned to watch their son and the girl.  
  
& Julian stared angrily at the girl in front of him. Escaflowne was gone and he knew his parents would be angry with him for losing the God of War. He yelled at her, "Did you make it disappear? How did you get inside Escaflowne?!" The girl stared at him and replied, "I…don't know what you…what you're talking about. Where am I?" she looked all around her and her eyes widened as she saw the Sheczar`d and Julian's sword. "Have I gone back in the past?" she wondered aloud. Julian stood up and walked to her; she backed away. He grabbed her arm and made her stand,  
  
"What's your name?!" he demanded harshly.  
  
"Sh..Shira." she whispered nervously.  
  
"I'll ask you again, how did you get inside Escaflowne?"  
  
"What are you talking about? One minute I was sitting on the edge of the school wall, I slipped and I was falling but then I hit something hard and next thing I know, I'm on top of you!"  
  
"You couldn't have…" Suddenly Julian's eyes widened and he stared at the girl, releasing her arm. His mother and father had met because Hitomi had…He turned away from her and searched the stadium for his parents. Hitomi was walking quickly toward them, with Van close behind. He turned back around to look at the girl, but she was watching the sky and glancing around her, Julian heard her mutter, "What is this place?" Hitomi came striding up to the girl and asked something in an unrecognizable language. Julian glanced at his father but Van seemed to understand what was being said and watched, arms folded. The girl smiled and answered Hitomi back in the same language, gesturing wildly, pointing to the Sheczar`d, Julian, and the stadium. Hitomi wrapped her arm around the girl's waist and whispered something, then spread her arms; Julian guessed she was telling the girl about Austeria and this place. Hitomi said sharply, "Julian come here." Julian walked quickly to his mother and stared stonily at the girl. "Do you feel anything for this girl?" He stared at his mother, astounded, what would he feel for Shira?! She had made Escaflowne disappear. "No. I dislike her for making Escaflowne leave." He replied. The girl frowned at him and said something harshly to Hitomi. Hitomi laughed and replied to the girl in a reprimanding tone. Julian made a feral sound in his throat and without thinking, drew his sword. Before he or his parents knew what he was doing, he was standing above the girl, his sword pressed to her neck. "What did you say?! I will KILL YOU for making Escaflowne disappear! Do you hear me?!" She stared up at him, eyes frightened and made a whimpering sound. "Julian!" cried his parents and Van quickly restrained his son. Julian threw his sword on the ground and spat, "She deserves to die! It's TREASON to mess with Escaflowne!" Hitomi said something to the girl, who quickly stood up and backed away from Julian and Van. Julian wrestled out of his father's grasp, picked up his sword and stalked away from them. He turned suddenly and stared at the girl, who was clutching Hitomi's arm and looking scared. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her raise her eyes to the sky and murmur to Hitomi. Hitomi said something to the girl and she shook her head violently. The girl closed her eyes, apparently at Hitomi's command, and brought her folded hands to her lips. She murmured something and suddenly, a bright light emerged from the sky and wrapped around the girl. Julian blinked and when he opened his eyes again, the girl was gone. He gasped and ran to his mother, who was sadly watching the sky.  
  
"What happened? Where is she?" he demanded as he walked around, searching for her. Hitomi shook her head and went to Van, who held her tightly. Julian turned around and his eyes widened as he realized Hitomi was crying. "Mother…?" he wondered. Hitomi lifted her head and looked at Van, who smiled encouragingly, and nodded. Hitomi turned to her son and said, "She was from Earth. She…was not the Tsubasa no Kami. I…miss…" Hitomi started crying again and buried her face into Van's neck, who drew her closer. Julian shifted uncomfortably. Had he made his mother cry? He turned and sprinted out of the stadium.  
  
& Diana collided with Julian and they fell to the ground, but Julian was up and running again. "Julian!" called Diana. She stood up and rushed after him. Diana grabbed him around his waist and they fell again, Diana landing on his stomach. "Let go of me!" he cried and struggled. Diana looked up at him as he tried to sit up, but she wouldn't move. "Julian. What are you running from? What, who was that…?" she whispered, her eyes widening as she saw Julian's wet eyes. He glared and said harshly, "I don't care. Some girl from the mystic moon. She made Escaflowne vanish. Do you hear me Diana? ESCAFLOWNE IS GONE! And it's all my fault." He hung his head and Diana heard his voice crack as he hissed, "I'll kill her. I swear, if I ever see her again. I'll kill her." Diana leaned forward and touched Julian's hair, then swept it back. Julian looked up and she saw tears running down his cheeks. "Julian…I'm sorry." She murmured, and he leaned into her, as she gathered him comfortingly in her arms. He let her touch him, get close to him. He might never see her again. Julian didn't want to leave her warm arms, or body. He pulled away suddenly and stood up, leaving her sitting on the ground. He looked down at her and said, "I have to go. For a long time." He turned, but paused, to see if she would do anything. She did. "NO JULIAN." Julian turned around again at her livid voice. She stood, unsteadily and said haltingly, "If YOU leave, I'll kill YOU. You can't keep running from your problems. And you can't leave me again. You said you'd say good-bye, but you never did. Julian, stay, please." Julian watched as she raised her head and saw her angry expression make her features almost unrecognizable. "I can't…stay." He returned and prepared for battle, he even drew his sword.  
  
"Julian Tory de Fanel. If you leave, I will hunt you down and KILL you."  
  
"Try."  
  
"I said if you leave."  
  
"Good-bye."  
  
"STOP."  
  
"NO."  
  
"JULIAN! Why do you have to go, all the time?"  
  
"I have to find Escaflowne."  
  
"By yourself?"  
  
"For my people, my family. For me. I am crown prince, don't you think I don't want to leave? Did you ever think of me? I have to do this for my country Diana. Believe me, if I could stay and be a knight, I would. But I have no choice." He turned away from her and started walking toward the exit, "I am bound by my duty." Diana stared after him but furrowed her brow and called, "Leave, and you die Julian." He laughed, "Then they'd have to kill you."  
  
"Not if I pressed charges, got signatures, letters…"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"You have to stay."  
  
"I have to go."  
  
"Julian…"  
  
She started running after him, but he sensed this and suddenly, she was blinded by a dazzling whiteness. She threw her hands in front of her face to shield her eyes and when she looked, Julian was gone and a great bird was soaring through the skies, headed to the west. "You can't leave me, Julian." She whispered, then ran for the stables, already undoing her dress.  
  
& Kira was bent over a new pile of hay, trying to tie it in a stack. A sudden sharp call brought her out of her frustration and she straightened up;  
  
"You. Stable-girl. What's your name? Can I borrow some clothes? Do you have any companions?"  
  
"My lady?" Kira's eyes widened as she saw the princess, red in the face, in her petticoats and leggings.  
  
"Please hurry. I need people to come with me, you know Jul-Tory. He disobeyed me. And I have to punish him, as I swore."  
  
"Punish…? I do your bidding m'lady…I'll get the others to get supplies and horses."  
  
"Please. I need clothes."  
  
Kira nodded and sprinted into action beckoning Diana to follow. They raced up the staircase and Kira yelled, "OY! RON, DIRN! GET SOME HORSES AND STUFF! WE NEED TO HELP THE PRINCESS FIND TORY! HURRY!" They ran to Kira's bunk and Kira threw some old leather leggings and a small shirt to Diana.  
  
"Wait here while we get everything ready, hurry." Kira spoke to Diana and then disappeared.  
  
& It was dark by the time they were out of the city. Diana led by instinct, knowing eventually she would find him. He had headed west and this was the direction she led her companions. They rode quickly and silently, all being skilled horse-people. After several hours, Diana noticed white feathers and red blood here and there. "Someone's killed a snow owl…" Ron commented nonchalantly. Diana followed the trail with her eyes and gasped, she pointed, "No. The owl has killed someone." They dismounted and ran to the man, Diana hoping it was Julian. It wasn't. He had slain an innocent—or not innocent?—man. "He's not been dead long." Kira announced after an inspection of the body. Diana nodded and looked around for some kind of clue, or trail. She looked up and saw broken branches…had he flown away again?  
  
& Julian held his breath and narrowed his eyes as he watched Diana, Kira, Ron, and Dirn search for clues of the dead man. He had killed the man because the man was evil. Something had happened to the man and he was evil; when Julian had come across him, the man was muttering insane things about the Mystic Moon and Escaflowne. He had attacked Julian, saying the Mystic Moon required the blood of a dragon to fulfill its destiny. Julian had killed him then. Diana had said she was going to kill him if he left…he grinned evilly and whispered, "Not if I kill her first." He leapt quietly.  
  
& Diana fell as something heavy landed on top of her back. Her breath was knocked out and her face smashed in the dirt, leaves and twigs. She struggled and cried out. "Tory?!" cried Kira as she rushed to assist the princess.  
  
"Nobody move, or the princess dies." Growled Julian as he pressed his sword to Diana's slight neck. Diana was astonished…he was really going to kill her, as she had vowed to kill him. She sank limply onto the forest floor and let her emotions overrun her logical thought. Tears erupted, her anger boiled, her frustration was on overload. Adrenaline arrived to create a medley of emotions she had never experienced all at one time before; she was confused, sad, happy, angry, disappointed, scared, furious, sorry. "JULIAN!" she screamed, twisted her arm so she could reach her waist and pulled her knife from her belt. She rolled and Julian jumped back, preparing for battle.  
  
"I PROMISED I WAS GOING TO KILL YOU! GET READY JULIAN TORY DE FANEL!"  
  
"I WAS READY THE MOMENT I SAW YOU! YOU WILL DIE!" Diana raced to Julian swiping madly with her deadly knife. He sidestepped the attack but was hit in the back with her small fist. He turned and blocked a fierce blow with his sword and forced her back with his strength.  
  
"I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TALKED TO YOU!"  
  
"I SHOULD NEVER HAVE GONE WITH YOU!" They screamed at each other as they swiped at each other, sometimes drawing pinpricks of blood, other times rolling away and dodging, always dodging the deadly steel blades.  
  
"YOU ARE A LOUSY PRINCE YOU KNOW THAT?!"  
  
"YOU COULD NEVER BE A QUEEN!"  
  
Diana swung again, with the blunt of her knife, and hit him in his face. A black bruise began swelling. She grinned and started crying at the same time, his beautiful ugly face! He stared at her and roared, then charged her with his long sword.  
  
"I HATE YOU!"  
  
"I HATE YOU!"  
  
They met in the middle, each fighting for the right to rip the other's innards out and throw them around the ground. Diana pulled away and swung over to his right, he caught the blow and returned it. She lashed out as he swung at her and they both missed, Diana ran to his side and came up behind him, placing him in a somewhat unsteady headlock, as she was much shorter than he was. He leaned forward and she rose up on his back.  
  
"I WILL KILL YOU!" choked Julian as Diana's grip became tighter.  
  
"NOT IF YOU DIE FIRST!" Diana retorted and she hung on tighter. He reached around and grabbed the seat of her riding pants. Their sword and knife lay forgotten.  
  
"PERVERT!"  
  
"KILLER PRINCESS!"  
  
Julian pulled her down and he tripped over her sprawled legs, but she scrambled for her knife and was up in a flash while he lay, trying to recover. Kira, Dirn, and Ron watched, their mouths hanging open at this hysterical display of fighting. Diana kneeled over Julian's prone body and dug her sword into his neck, pressing hard enough to draw blood, not hard enough to kill him. Yet.  
  
"NOW YOU WILL KNOW THE PAIN OF DIEING!"  
  
"WHEN DID YOU EVER DIE?!"  
  
Diana stared hard at his cold steel eyes and her eyes filled with tears again.  
  
"I DIED WHEN YOU LEFT! I DIE EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE ME ALONE! I WILL KILL YOU FOR THE HURT YOU'VE CAUSED ME!" She wanted to force the knife through his neck, pin him to the ground, she wanted to hold him and say how sorry she was. He watched her tears pour out and he knew.  
  
"I know your hurt. Your hurt is mine. I love you."  
  
"I…I love you. Julian." And he reached up and drew her to him. She dropped the knife and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kira watched, her eyes filling with tears, and she leaned into Ron, who was crying happily. Dirn turned away, disgusted and Ron blubbered to Kira, "I love you Kira." He noisily kissed her and then turned to Dirn, gathering him in a great bear hug, "I love you too Dirn!"  
  
"Geroff me you great mammoth!"  
  
"I'll always love you Dirn, no matter what."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"I still love you!"  
  
"I'll kick your fat a—"  
  
"GUYS!"  
  
"We love you Kira!"  
  
& Diana helped Julian sit up, her hand clutching his. He felt his cheek where she had hit him and Diana started crying again, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it!" She fell on him, holding onto his shoulders begging him to forgive her, she was so sorry, did he still love her? "Diana." She stopped sobbing and stared at him, "I'm…" He shook his head and gently kissed her.  
  
"You shouldn't have come after me. Now it will be even more painful."  
  
"What are you talking about? We're together!"  
  
"Yes. But that doesn't mean we don't have obligations. I need to find Escaflowne and you need to go back to Palas."  
  
"NEVER!" cried Diana tearfully and she sobbed into his neck again, "NO! I WON'T"  
  
He hugged her and stroked her hair.  
  
"I can't let you come with me."  
  
"I am coming."  
  
He sighed and closed his eyes. Diana was too emotional.  
  
"Fine." He whispered and kissed her hair. She smiled into his neck; princesses always got their way. They stood up.  
  
& Julian explained to his comrades what he thought about where he would find Escaflowne's energy force and about the man. "The man knows something about this weird disappearance and about that girl from the mystic moon." He knew that Escaflowne's energist had to be from a live dragon that had been slain by a dragon. "Dragons live in the west." He told them as Diana held his hand. "Maybe if I can get another energist, Escaflowne will return to me. Or my father. Or Dilan…maybe even my sister or mother. Whatever it may be…I have to try to return Escaflowne. It is my country's legend. The God of War is known to help the one whose will is strong. Last time…it was my mother who saved my father from becoming Black Escaflowne. Perhaps I will save myself. Or someone else will…" He thought about this and wondered if the girl, Shira, was the one who had to help him. Diana certainly couldn't help him, because she was not of the dragon-clan, nor did she have any powers. The girl. He again saw her blonde hair and frightened face. "Whoever's will it is…I must find Escaflowne. War is in the air. Evil is coming. That man prophesized it." They all shifted around the fire and read each other's minds and faces…War? Coming to Gaia? Was Julian at the heart of this war? Diana said softly, "Our parents will try to prevent it, Julian. We will stop it." They looked at each other for a moment, summarizing each other's love. He nodded and then said to them all, "We will start in the morning. Meanwhile, let's sleep." He flopped back and drew Diana's cloak over himself. The rest followed suit, Diana snuggling next to Julian.  
  
"I didn't mean it. You're not a bad prince." She whispered to him.  
  
"And you're not ugly." He mumbled sleepily.  
  
"You're still a pervert."  
  
"And you're still a killer princess."  
  
They slept.  
  
~END PART 3~ 


	4. Sora's Begins, End Julian's

1 Girl on Earth: Sora's Story  
  
We all know and love Sora, right? Sora's story picks up where Julian's story left off, except it's entirely through her point of view as you should have known…I don't want to give it away and everything but yeah. A word of advice: if you haven't read "The Story of Their Love" (About Hitomi and Van meeting up again and macking) and especially if you haven't read Julian's story "Knight of Fanela," then all of this is going to be horribly confusing. Try to find the right order, my readers. K. That's it. [Oh, I think some people might think I don't know what's from the series and what's from the movie, but I do, because I've seen both. I just incorporate ideas from both versions and tie them into each other. I AM NOT CONFUSED. I intentionally do this!] K. That's it part II.  
  
~Caritas~  
  
1.1 PART 1:Sora in Palas  
  
Sora sat quietly on the bed as Dilan snored softly. She had been waiting for her parents for several hours and it was growing dark. She smiled as she thought of Escaflowne. He had disappeared. She could feel a horrible event coming and she feared she had started it. She had overloaded on her want to help Julian, and her power had passed through his mind into his sword and out through King Allen's hands. When she prevented Escaflowne from leaving, and had caused the girl to come, she had imbalanced the two parallel worlds of Earth and Gaia. Not even her mother knew she had power over Escaflowne, if she did, it probably meant more training and she was sick of all the training. She couldn't really control her powers even though she had all this training. She didn't care. She wanted out. Julian's way of handling things wasn't so bad. Maybe Sora should leave too. She had wings, the only female in the Fanel family (besides her grandmother Fanel) to own wings.  
  
Dilan rolled over and childishly sucked his thumb. Sora smiled; even though he was eight, Dilan was always the baby. Sora stood and walked to the other side of the room. A soft knock came at the door. Sora approached, mentally noted who it was (Prince Allen II), and opened it cautiously. The crown prince towered over her as her brother and father did.  
  
"Yes, majesty?" she asked softly.  
  
"I was just checking on you and the young prince. My mother's orders. None of my doing, of course. Uh…are…are your parents in?" Allen nervously adjusted his collar.  
  
Sora smiled knowingly and replied, "No. Not yet. Thank you for your concern."  
  
"I…you're welcome. Always welcome…to assist you in any way."  
  
Sora nodded quietly. Allen shifted his weight, looked around, and then asked;  
  
"Uh…you're Julian's little sister?"  
  
Sora laughed and said, "Of course, my liege…I am the Princess Sora of Fanela."  
  
Allen laughed nervously and said, "Of course! What was I thinking?"  
  
Sora smiled warmly and said softly, "Your majesty has the right to think."  
  
"Uh…yes. Anyway, how much younger are you to him?"  
  
"I am three years his junior."  
  
"Three?! Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Funny, you seem so much older."  
  
Sora looked down, letting her mind go blank. She was so old, too old. Her past was her future. Why did she have to be cursed with the powers and name of the Tsubasa no Kami? She raised her head and replied quietly,  
  
"Many people say that, majesty."  
  
Allen nodded then bowed and said, "Well, goodnight. Maybe I'll see you around."  
  
Sora watched him go, narrowed her eyes and muttered, "Yeah right. Why would I want to see YOU again?!"  
  
Later that night, her parents entered. Sora stood hurriedly, but didn't go near them as she sensed Hitomi's familiar warning signs; her father was in a volatile mood. "Momma?" she asked timidly. Her mother looked up at her father, who turned away into their set of rooms, closing the door behind him. Hitomi tiredly sat down on the bed and Sora joined her. "Poor Dilan. He's so tired," whispered Hitomi as she stroked her son's fair hair. "Momma? Where's Julian?" Sora glanced up at her beautiful mother. Hitomi's hand froze on Dilan's soft hair and she sighed. "He's gone. We won't be seeing him for a long time. I'm so afraid he won't come back. I'm so afraid Dilan will have to take the throne. It would hurt your father so much if the past repeated itself. My love, oh how my heart aches for him. Van…" Hitomi bent over her sleeping son and Sora watched as tears leaked into his hair. "Momma…" Sora reached her hand to her crying mother's shoulder but Hitomi stood and wiped her face. "You father must not know I've told you. Dilan must not know he may have to become king. You understand, Sora? You are the only one who can save Dilan, Sora. Do not let him be corrupt. Promise you will help us, dear Sora." Sora watched, scared, as her mother stared her down and whispered, "You must help us, Tsubasa No Kami." Sora backed away from her mother; how could she have said that? "Mother—Hitomi, no. I…I cannot…I am not…" Hitomi smiled, looked down, then turned away and opened the door to her and Van's rooms. "Goodbye, Sora." Sora's eyes filled with tears at the responsibility her mother had given her. "MOMMA!" she cried and flung herself on the bed, hugging the pillows. Dilan stirred and rolled over toward Sora. "Sora? You 'k?" he mumbled sleepily. Sora glanced over at him, he was so sweet and young. She pressed her face into his head and murmured, "I'm fine Dilan. We're fine. Everything's okay. Let's sleep now." Dilan nodded and went back to sleep as Sora wet his head with tears.  
  
"What did you tell her?" Van murmured as Hitomi changed and got into bed beside him. "Nothing. She knows now. She will leave soon Van. I tried to stop her. But the Mystic Moon calls again. She will leave us." Hitomi stared up though their skylight window at the glimmering moon; no earth yet had appeared. Suddenly, her line of vision was filled with her husband's beautiful face. "Hitomi. You cannot tell me this. She cannot leave us. To lose another child? I can't bear it. And our only daughter." Hitomi looked away as she said, "I can't stop it. She is…"  
  
"NO! Sora is DEAD Hitomi. She died with my brother! Stop bringing up the dead past!"  
  
"Her past—our past—it is her future! Don't you see Van? You can't stop fate!"  
  
Van sighed and flopped back on the pillows. His wife was so frustrating—and so right. Hitomi's hand found his and clenched it, he returned the strong grip and warmth. "Van, I know you don't want it to happen, you think I do? Our daughter must fulfill her destiny and the prophecy. Just as you and I did. I know you understand that." Hitomi pressed into his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his chest. "We have to let her go, Van. She will go." Van closed his eyes as he thought of his darling little daughter. His chin resting on Hitomi's soft hair, he murmured, "I know. She will go." Hitomi kissed his chin and pulled the cover up to her cheek, snuggling down to sleep.  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why did we have kids?"  
  
"Van!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because…you know the answer to that!"  
  
"No, beyond the physical part. Hitomi."  
  
"I…I don't know. We had children because you needed an heir of course. We had them…because we were…because we had to? I don't know. Can I sleep?"  
  
"Of course, love. I'm sorry. I love you."  
  
"I love you. There's an understatement. I ADORE you. I FANTASIZE about you. I want to MACK you all day long! You are so WONDERFULLY VAN!" Hitomi reached up and pulled Van down. "Ahg! Hitomi, my neck!" She kissed him hard and he pulled her closer. "We had children because we could." Hitomi murmured as he kissed her all over. "Wrong. We had kids 'cause I said so." Van replied. Hitomi laughed and they embraced again. The King and Queen of Fanela could be happy when two of their children were leaving them forever…As it is, as it should be, as it always will be.  
  
  
  
In the morning, Sora stood outside "watching" Dilan. He was dabbling his hands in the small pond outside the palace. Sora looked to the stables where her brother had once served. A strange urge took her to look at the place where her brother had lived for more than a year. "Dilan, let's look at the horses." Dilan perked up and trotted ahead of Sora as they made for the stables. As they entered, Sora was struck with how much this place reeked of Julian's aura. Dilan petted a sleek black mare and Sora walked up beside him and the horse. She reached a hand to stroke the mare and gasped as her hand connected with the silky mane. She was in a different time, different world:  
  
A man with fluffy white wings floated in the blue sky. The sky turned deadly black and red and the man's wings twisted and disappeared; the man fell with bloody feathers and broken wings floating down after him. Soar covered her mouth with her hands and watched in stunned silence as the man hit the ground with a jolt. She heard the crunch of bones and blood seeped from the man in a torrent. The ground became broken and jagged black rock and Sora found her feet getting wet from the blood. She watched the broken man and cried, her tears floating away from her until she had no more tears. "I'm sorry…" she whispered.  
  
Sora blinked as the vision suddenly disappeared. Dilan was tugging on her hand and pointing to an open door. Sora nodded shakily and Dilan bounded down the hall towards the door; he halted in front of the door and peered in. He gave a small yelp and raced back to Sora. "What's wrong?" Sora asked. He frowned then replied, "Ugly bad man inside. He looked like he could eat a baby." Sora smiled then turned to leave when a loud voice called, "Oy!" Sora turned quickly around and Dilan ran next to her.  
  
"That's him!" he hissed.  
  
"Yes, sir?" asked Sora as she sized up the huge man with a bushy beard.  
  
"What'a ya doin' in here?"  
  
"We…were just admiring the fine horses. We're visiting the royal family."  
  
"Yar…yar Fanelain aren't ya?"  
  
Sora tensed at the question, this man was familiar somehow; ah, that was it, he had known Julian.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"…are…ya know Prince Julian?"  
  
"He's our brother."  
  
"Ah. That'd be it then."  
  
"Please, sir if you'd excuse us."  
  
"T'course. Say…whattaver happen' ta young Julian?"  
  
Sora turned away and said quietly, "He left." She and Dilan exited.  
  
Sora sat on the steps as Dilan played with his wooden sword. Watching him was her life. Since Julian was 12 and had decided he was master and needn't attend to his family anymore and her parents were too busy with diplomatic affairs, Sora had been responsible for watching him. Merle had gone away on family business and had only returned when they were about to leave for Palas. Sora didn't really trust Merle because she sensed love stronger than that of a little sister for Van and Sora was constantly afraid Merle would try to make Van hers again. Dilan was banging his sword on everything, beheading daises and chopping grass. Sora heard a door open and shut and she glanced behind her. It was only Prince Allen. She went back to watching Dilan. Allen sat down.  
  
"Good morning, princess."  
  
"Good morning, prince."  
  
"Dilan playing is he? He'll be a fine boy…"  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"Why wouldn't he be?"  
  
Sora remained silent. She was burning with fury. This boy annoyed her.  
  
"Uh…haven't seen Julian around, do you know where he is? Come to think of it, I haven't seen my sister around either."  
  
Sora felt a twinge of recognition. Julian was not alone…there were others.  
  
"Sister? You have…?"  
  
"Diana. She's my twin. She and Julian kinda seemed as if they knew each other. I wonder where they are...they've been gone since yesterday…"  
  
Sora smiled. They had left together, so Julian actually was in love. Was that why he left? But a marriage to Diana would have been beneficial! And they loved each other…  
  
"Oh…Julian may have mentioned something about her...But wherever they are, I'm sure they're safe."  
  
"Do you know something you're not telling me?"  
  
"No, of course not! How is your father?"  
  
"He's…better. His hand hurts painfully but he'll be fine."  
  
"That's good." Sora thought about the poor king. Sometimes her power hurt the innocent. Dilan came up to them and stared at Allen.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked rudely.  
  
Sora frowned and said harshly, "Dilan!" She applied a small smack to his bum and Dilan winced. Then rubbing his bum he gave a small bow and muttered, "I am Prince Dilan Kanzaki Fanel of Fanela. Who're you?" Allen laughed and cried,  
  
"Don't you remember me from the introductions when you first arrived? No, I suppose not, we're all the same to you aren't we? I am Prince Allen II of Austeria." Dilan nodded, gave a small smile then said to Sora, " I would like to go see my parents now. The king and queen of Fanela." Sora laughed then gave a small curtsey to Allen, "Goodbye, my lord." He bowed reluctantly toward her and she turned away. He watched her for a bit then suddenly caught her hand again and pulled her back. Sora faced him, a bit frightened, "Majesty?"  
  
"I'll come to see you again. And please, just 'Allen.'" Sora forced a smile then replied, "Yes, my lord." He smiled and released her. Sora turned away again and hurriedly followed Dilan. After they were out of sight of Allen, she groaned; he liked her. This was bad, if he fell in love with her, he would want to marry her and then she would be forced into a meaningful relationship that would unite the two kingdoms, which was stupid because Allen, Millerna and her parents were all good friends. She followed Dilan as he turned into the guest hallways and into their suite of rooms.  
  
When she walked into the room and saw her parents, she was confused. She felt different towards them; hostile, angry. She patted Dilan and turned to go. She didn't look back. Van looked up to see her pale blue skirt disappear around the corner and his face crumpled. He turned away and grasped a chair so hard his knuckles turned white and his veins stood out. Hitomi held him and he leaned into her, letting his tears wet her neck. "My…only…daughter." He raggedly murmured. Hitomi kissed his neck and they held each other some more. Dilan walked diplomatically toward them and said warmly, "My condolences, mother." She just looked at him.  
  
Sora walked quickly from the palace's back west gates—the smallest and most unnoticeably of the gates. She had stopped to grab her black cloak and her book containing Hitomi's teachings. Around her neck she wore the infamous pink necklace her mother had laid by her bedside the night before. She stepped rapidly, wanting to get as far away form the turmoil as possible. Was she dead to them? Or simply, "gone?" Sora didn't care, but she didn't have a clue as to where her mother wanted her to go. As she exited the gates, a sudden gust of wind stirred and blew the book from her hand; she cried out. Sora recovered the leather-bound journal a few feet away but paused when she saw what page it had turned to; the drawing of the Earth that Hitomi had rendered from memory. Sora looked at it in amazement, crouched under the shade of a huge tree, not far from the palace. Her necklace tugged on her neck and strained for the book. Sora took it off, and held it over the drawing, pendant like. It swayed form side to side, then picked up speed and rotated in a prefect circle, moving faster and faster. Sora drew in her breath sharply as the vision came again:  
  
This time, two people were falling; both had wings. They hit the ground and the familiar red blood blossomed over the jagged rocky ground. Sora watched in amazement as one figure stood from the blood, and made a sword appear out of thin air. She cried out in pain as the figure laughed evilly and stabbed the motionless person on the ground. "Stop! He's already dead! Why must you destroy him?!" yelled Sora as she ran toward them. The figure with the sword looked up; startled and blood-stained, feathery, black wings sprouted from his back. He flew away, leaving the sword in the other figure's body. Sora crouched over the bloody and broken body and gasped as she saw who it was…It was—  
  
Sora blinked and pitched forward as the vision released her. Who was it she had seen? She had almost been able to recogonize the face…Sora looked down and notice the pendant was now glowing and moving so rapidly, it hurt. Sora stood up and clenched the stone in her hand, her face set. She could not possibly go to the mystic moon! It was so foreign! But she belonged to it…her mother was of the earth, so she was of the earth too; she was half Fanelian and half Mystic Moon. Sora retied the necklace and gathered the book, she continued walking through Palas, hoping to find the answers to her quest.  
  
It was early morning and Sora was sitting by a fountain in a poorer part of Palas. Here, everyone got up early and either went to work, started working, or tended to their household needs. Sora sat quietly and observed the peasant women noisly waking their house holds, calling to each other, and she listenrd intently to their gossip at the fountain:  
  
"I heard the prince ran off with the princess because she's pregnant!"  
  
"Well, you didn't hear it from me, but I heard fom the baker's wife's second cousin's mother inlaw's god-daughter that the young prince, Julian—may his soul be forgiven—(the woman crossed herself) was forced into a marriage with the young crown princess but he didn't want to and tried to kill good King Allen, but didn't succeed and ended up making Escaflowne—may the good god of war rest in peace--(all the women present crossed themselves and muttered prayers of repentance) disappear and the young prince fled, but not before raping the good princess!"  
  
The women were all a flutter after this rendtion and one young woman said timidly, "But…couldn't he have just said no reasonably and chosen some other bride?" All the older women snorted or laughed crudely and even Sora wondered at this girl's naivete.  
  
"Say he didn't want to marry the princess? Are you mad? That's pratically treason to the King of Fanela—the wonderous King Van-sama may he control Escaflowne well and nobely—(all the women crossed themselves again)!"  
  
Sora was about tired of all this talk and was getting ready to leave when she heard the girl speak up again, "I heard the king, crown prince and daughter of Fanela all possess the wings of Atlantis. Is it true?" Sora turned to hear the reply. All women gasped and crossed themselves, some even began praying to the gods for the girl's sinning soul. Many women turned away and as they were leaving, one old grizzled woman spoke up; "The wings are a curse, and we hope never to associate royalty with the curse. It is a shame that good king Van possesses the un-holy wings—he should never have become king—but to have two children with the curse is almost too much for Fanela to bear. They are a wholesome country and hate the fact that this curse still is bred in the royal family. But, yes, the two children have the wings. Some think they should be banished form the royal family and by the looks of it, both have left. For shame or fear of their families we know not." The young woman nodded solemnly and whispered, "I also heard the good Queen Hitomi is from the Mystic Moon, it can't be true, can it?" The grizzled woman inhaled sharply and lashed out at the young woman harshly, "Never speak of such a cursed place! It is enough to have the scarred wings of Atlantis! You think the king would stoop to such a level?! You are mad, girl! Never again speak of the cursed Mystic Moon! It has brought much damage to the land of Gaia and her wondrous people! If talked about,the Mystic Moon will only bring despair and unhappiness here!"  
  
This was too much for Sora, to have her family insulted, and now the wonderful place her mother had come from? No one treated the royal family like this.  
  
"Excuse me, but you're wrong. Queen Hitomi is from the Mystic Moon and she is the most wonderful person in the whole of Earth and Gaia. Did you know that many years ago, she actually saved Gaia from the wrath of Escaflowne, she stood in his path and called to the young king to stop. He obeyed. Escaflowne obeyed the order of Hitomi. She is very powerful. And King Van loves her very much. Please don't speak so rudely of Fanela's royal family, for their legacy is one to be learned about and used as an example. They're very strong willed." Sora's calm dispostion threatened the grizzled woman's knowledge and she knew it.  
  
"Eh, then. I won't." The young woman and granny stared at Sora until she turned away and walked out of the fountain square.  
  
"Who was that?" asked the young woman.  
  
"I don't know. But she is not of here. Maybe…she could be a prophet?"  
  
They watched the street she went down for some time, then they went back to their daily duties, to spread more rumors about the royal family and the strange young girl "prophet" they had encounterd.  
  
Sora was quite fed up with the city and had renewed pride in the Mystic Moon—no Earth. She glanced up into the sky and saw the usual moon hanging lower than it normally would and suddenly, faint lines appeared around the edges. A huge but dim planet appeared next to the moon. Sora watched in awe as some people cried out next to her. She ran as fast as she could to the nearest highest building and raced up the flight of stairs to the roof. She took off the necklace and clasped the book tightly to her chest, her cape swirling around her. As the wind raced by her face, tears were brought and a greenish light descended form the sky. Sora looked up into the light, which was coming directly from the earth. "Please…let me go…home…" The light grew brighter at her words and an extremely faint sound reached her ears; "Win dein a lotica in vi tu ri si lo ta Fin dein a loluca en dragu sei lain Fi-ru les shuati am and riga- lint…" Sora cried out at the song and something ripped through her soul. "SORAAAA!" she screamed as she was pulled up.  
  
~END PART 1~ 


	5. Sora in the Middle

Part 2  
  
Sora in the Middle  
  
Sora is going, la la la la la. By the way, if you get confused, most of my writing DOES come from the movie. I said I DO mix the series and movie together on purpose, but I prefer the movie. And I hate Merle. tsubasa_no_kami@juno.com  
  
  
  
Sora blinked as bright sunlight streamed down into her face. She sat up quickly, remembering what had happened. The book was in her hands and the necklace around her neck. She blinked again at the intense sunlight and gasped when she saw her surroundings. She was under a magnificent tower of trees, their leafy branches swayed in a spring breeze and she could hear faint sounds. They were happy children sounds, but also sounds of…noise. Machine sounds and sounds she had never heard before. Sora heard a sudden shout and a boy came charging through the bushes near her. She gasped as she saw him come running, then leaping over her with another yell and then—she twisted around to see what he was doing. He scooped something off the ground and then came running past her again, yelling, "I got it!" Sora stood up unsteadily and followed him out of the bushes to a scene totally new to her. Many boys were gathered on a grassy field. They were playing some game. She heard a crack and turned in the direction of the sound. A boy had hit something with a stick and was running on a worn diamond shape path. Yells and jeers were coming from the children surrounding the diamond. Sora gasped as she looked past the children. There was a small fence and then…people. She had never seen so many people, all in suits, skirts, dresses, pants, and different kinds of clothes she hadn't seen before. Beyond the people were…machines! Hitomi had told her about these, they were cars and trucks. There were so many. And then glittering buildings, the buildings were so big and so many. Sora stood there, awed in her tiny park of all surrounding her. Her cloak slipped off and she walked forward, right into the children's game, they wouldn't mind. But they did and they yelled at her. She ignored them and stepped onto the sidewalk. People surrounded her wearing everything imaginable. She pressed her back against the wall and stared. Many ignored her. Others gave her mean glances and muttered something in the language the girl had spoken to Julian. Sora smiled as she saw a small family waiting to cross the road. A young girl held onto her father's hand as they waited for the light. The girl had short sandy hair and was rocking back and forth on her heels. Sora's eyes contracted as she stared at the girl and she felt a splitting sensation in her side. Everything went gray and everyone froze. Sora, stood, hunched over and breathing hard. She looked up, slowly and the little girl turned to look back at her. "Please…" said Sora painfully, "…please help me…" The little girl, still smiling, called happily, "Can't!" Sora gasped as time became normal again and the family crossed the street. Cold sweat still on her face, Sora stayed against the wall. She sunk down onto the ground, careful to avoid people's legs. Tears came to her eyes. What was she doing here? No one was here to greet her! And now this strange girl, what was she doing here?  
  
Sora wearily got up and merged into the crowd of people. She followed the crowd for a long time and finally turned off into a small alley. Exhausted, she continued walking down a small street. Shops lined the walls and native people babbled to each other as they argued over prices. Sora stopped as she saw a small temple. She hurried to it and peered around the corner of the outer wall. It was peaceful inside, with little ponds and statues. Cherry trees speckled the ground and little shrines stood here and there. Sora smiled, imagine such peacefulness in such a crowded city. She entered slowly and walked into the nearest shrine. A small fat stone man sat on a pedestal, surrounded by flowers, jewelry and bowls of rice and food. Sora knelt in front of the little man and observed him for a minute in silence. A splitting voice issued from behind her and Sora stood quickly, backing away from the sound. "Aiiii- yaaaah! What you doing in this shrine?" a small figure robed in red and standing on wooden shoes lashed at her and two fingers struck Sora's ear. "Ow!" she cried and backed away more from the figure. "You should not be defiling the shrine of the Yatazume's ancestors! They wiiiilll be veeery angry!" Sora said quickly, "I didn't know it was theirs! I'm so sorry." She bowed quickly and tried to get out of trouble. "You no know? How?! Says their name right heeeeeere! You can't read? Stupid girl!" Sora angrily yelled back "I'm not stupid! I can read! I just didn't see it! Can't someone pray in peace?!" The small figure chucked and Sora finally saw the person as he removed his hood. "Ah! You come to pray? You are the new temple priestess?" Sora stared at him and everything froze again. Colors swirled around her and she heard the little girl's voice again, "Can't!" But her mother's voice came floating out of the wind too and she said, "You know Japanese, I taught you everything, how could you forget? You are the priestess Sora. As you were as you shall remain." Sora blinked and she said to the little man, "Yes. I'm the new priestess."  
  
"Good. You come with me and we wait for Apolo to come home. He show you around. Meanwhile, make meee tea! Not too hot!" They walked up the wooden stairs into the main temple that doubled as a simple house. The floors were covered in tatami mats and the walls were simple screens, with the outer wooden walls creating a small walkway around the exterior. Sora smiled as he went around the corner and she turned to see the teapot and tealeaves, and a small fire. She filled and prepared it the way her mother had taught her and went around the corner to give it to the old man. He was kneeling on a small rice mat, a bowl of rice in his hands. A small shrine stood in front of his bowed form and he offered the small bowl of rice to the statue. "For my wife and son, may your journey be swift to the heavens." Sora waited until he was done, then set the tea tray down on the ground beside him. He didn't move so Sora left and went into the other room. She sat on the wooden platform and swung her feet, watching the smooth spring breeze swirling the cherry blossoms around the courtyard. It was good there were some places of beauty in the city, otherwise she might go crazy. A sudden bell sounded in the distance three times and she heard the voices of many coming closer. Sora watched as students passed by the temple, laughing about their day. Many walked by and she guessed this was a residential neighborhood. Sora found that now she understood this strange language her mother had taught her. Suddenly, voices stopped at the gate and she saw the back of a boy.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow!" called the boy with his back to her.  
  
"See ya!" replied another voice.  
  
The boy turned and walked into the yard, one hand in his pocket, the other carrying his satchel. He stopped a few yards from the temple and stared at her.  
  
"Can I help you miss?" he asked slowly.  
  
Sora studied him. He was quite handsome, with straight black hair and piercing blue eyes. His uniform was all navy blue and he was tall for his age, which she guessed to be around her own. She smiled and said, "I'm the new priestess here. Grandpa's finishing his tea."  
  
The boy started and came quickly towards her, "He let you make his tea?"  
  
Sora nodded.  
  
"On your first day? Wow. He must like you. I haven't seen you before, do you go to Crossroads?" Sora looked at him puzzled and he frowned, "Guess not. Do you go to one of the private girls' schools?"  
  
Sora raised her eyebrows and said, "Uh…I don't go to school…around…around here." He smiled then said, "Where do you go? Where do you live?" Sora was about to make up another lie when Grandpa came out and shrieked, "Apolo! Stop wasting time! The gods are not pleased! You must do chores and show new Sora priestess around!" He thwacked Apolo on the side of his head with his two fingers and Apolo winced.  
  
"Ahhh! Yes, grandfather, yes. I will go now!"  
  
Sora laughed softly and she and grandfather watched Apolo go. Grandpa turned and said, "Come. We will get you the proper robes of the priestess Sora." Sora smiled and said, "I…I will be staying with you?" Grandpa bobbed his head and motioned with his gnarled hand to follow. Sora followed him, his baldhead and white beard bouncing in time to some unknown tune in his head. They went to the back of the enclosure and Grandpa shoved open a screen. He tugged out a long red skirt with pleats in the front and a long white tunic with long sleeves. He also brought out a pair of lumpy white socks and wooden shoes with black thongs.  
  
"I take you to room. Come. Change. Be read to work." He led her to an inner room with a sleeping futon covered by a thick blue comforter. There was nothing else in the room except for a few cushions in the corner and a small plant hanging from the ceiling. It was so perfect in its simplicity. The mats were of bamboo and gave off a calm woodsy scent. Sora took off her shoes as her mother had instructed and walked into her room. She bowed to grandpa, who returned the bow and walked away, then shut her screen and changed. She folded her blue dress and set it away then placed her small black slippers on top of her dress. The small book was on her bed. Sora sighed and walked out of the room, flinging her hair absently over her shoulder.  
  
That's how Apolo finally saw her; Sora the priestess coming out into the hallway that was flooded with light, her white-blonde hair shining in the sun, her purple eyes mysteriously illuminated, her priestess robes contrasting greatly with her eyes. She was so sad and mysterious. He swallowed nervously at the feeling in the pit of his stomach and wondered if this was what the teachers had been talking about in health class. He was 14 and starting to notice the beauty of women. Sora was no exception. She walked dreamily, as if she didn't know he was watching and then she lowered her head and walked towards him.  
  
"Sora." He said throatily, still trying to gain control of himself. She looked up and he saw an immense sadness fill her luxurious purple eyes. Then she smiled and the sorrow disappeared.  
  
"Apolo. Grandpa told me you would show me what to do."  
  
He nodded and replied, "Today is Monday so you sweep the yard and I'll wash the other robes. It's lucky you came now, it's the spring rush, but we just lost our other priest…and…" A pained look crossed his face and he didn't finish. Apolo turned and Sora followed him. She took the broom from his hand and started sweeping the ground. Leaves and dust vacated the area at her light touch and Sora smiled inwardly. This would not be a hard life. A laughing group of boys came into the yard and Sora froze. She held the broom like a weapon in front of her and mustered a small smile. The boys stopped as they saw her. Then they all started grinning. One stepped forward.  
  
"Hello there," he said kindly. He had light brown hair and cheerful grey eyes, "Is Apolo around?" Sora nodded and replied, "I'll get him. Please wait here." She slowly walked around the building and ran to the washroom. Apolo was stirring a pot of clothes with a large wooden paddle. It looked like Fanela's method of washing clothes. She called, "Apolo, some boys outside want to speak to you." Apolo looked up quickly, his cheeks flushed form the heat and he said, "Ok. Um…could you do this for me while I talk with them? I'll only be a couple of minutes." Sora made a face and Apolo laughed, then said, "Thanks, Sora." She took the paddle from him and stirred, as Apolo brushed past her, he patted her on her shoulder and said, "I won't be long." She shivered after he was gone and remembered the fleeting touch. Yes, she could live here. But what was her purpose? She had to help both Dilan and Julian, but how? She stirred thoughtfully until Apolo came back and told her she could go. He smiled as she went past but Sora didn't seem to notice him. She was deep in thought and didn't seem to notice him. Sora wandered out to the back meditating gardens where only the priests and priestesses were allowed. She sat on a stone and tucked her feet under her, taking off her shoes before hand. The trees swayed lightly in the wind and the scent was wonderful. Sora closed her eyes and concentrated. She relaxed everything but her mind and searched for the link between herself and Gaia. Suddenly, she felt a great warm presence in her mind and heard a faint humming sound. She began talking with great Gaia, hoping to contact her mother through Mistress Gaia.  
  
Gaia? Where is my mother, your daughter, Hitomi?  
  
Priestess Sora, it has been long since we have spoken.  
  
I'm sorry. I am on earth, your sister planet and I must be able to talk to my mother. It is very important.  
  
Why?  
  
I must ask her why I am here.  
  
Very well.  
  
The mind patterns changed and rippled and Sora sighed as she felt her mind burn from the distance and energy it took to reach her mother.  
  
Daughter? Where are you? Sora? Where are you?  
  
Mother, I'm on earth. Why am I here?  
  
I do not know. How did you get there?  
  
I just did.  
  
Sora, you must come home, it is not safe for you, yet.  
  
No! Just tell me what I must do and I'll do it! I like it here!  
  
I already told you.  
  
"Mother!" Sora cried as she felt the mental block, she couldn't reach her mother anymore! She dully stared for a moment at her surroundings then stood and walked back to the temple. It was too unfair for all this to happen. She found grandpa and said, "I must go home…" Her eyes were downcast and she was close to tears. Grandpa didn't look up but he said slowly, "We will wait your return. You will visit often and help, Sora. We shall not miss you." Sora smiled gratefully and threw her arms around the little man, "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
  
  
Sora stood by her bed as she watched the moon come up. There was no sign of the mystic moon and she sighed as she tried to smell the imaginary cherry blossoms. Van had given her a harsh lecture about where her rightful home was and the danger she had been in, he even did a bit about the old Sora, and some kind of mystical talk.  
  
Ouch. That hurt. The stabbing pain had been evident ever since that day. No more body heat next to me, no more loving presence that I didn't know loved. Please tell me why it has to be so far. Why can't you just come near, boy? I'm here.  
  
She was acutely aware that Julian was not here. His aura was so far, it terrorized her soul to think of where he might be. She knew he was searching for Escaflowne, but something was wrong about the situation. There was tension in the atmosphere of Gaia. War was in the air, but between whom she could not tell. Sora was sitting on her soft bed back home in Fanela. It had been several weeks since she had returned from earth and the physical ache of missing earth had turned into a mental ache. Sora had come home form earth and had immediately collapsed in tears. She had been on Earth for only a couple of hours, but the bond created between her and grandpa was immense and easily felt. Apolo's connection she didn't miss that much but she knew she should be on Earth, not on Gaia. Right now, she was wondering if she could return whenever she wanted. Staring at the moon made her realize she had never spent a night on Earth. If she made secret journeys to and from the Earth, who would she hurt? Anyone at all? Or could it be her little secret, her escape from her real life? Could she do it without mother noticing? Sora stood up and went to her window, her long white nightgown trailing slightly behind her. She stood at her window, clutched the pendant and whispered, "Can I visit the Earth? Please, just for a little?" She felt the gentle tug and with her eyes squeezed tight, she was transported to Earth. This time, she didn't scream, even though the vision was worse.  
  
The men who fell from the blood red sky were both bleeding as they fell. Only, one had wings and one did not. As they hit the earth Sora watched the man with black wings stab the lifeless man on the ground and she cried out. The black winged man looked up, startled, and Sora raced to the bloody man as the black winged one flew away. She knelt over the bloody one and wiped his face of the blood so she could see him…she sobbed as she saw who it was. "Julian!"  
  
"Julian!" Sora sobbed as she bent her head to her lap. It was dark again and she was shaking. She was sitting on her knees, on top of scratchy rice mats…  
  
Apolo bolted up as he heard the cry and stared blearily around. He saw Sora, hunched over and sobbing to his right, very close in fact. She was in her nightgown and crying hysterically. He reached a hand to her shoulder, "Sora?" Sora shied away at his touch and stopped crying long enough to stare frightened at him, her hand raised in front of her in defense. He watched calmly as the last sobs shook her body, her frightened wet eyes glistening in the moonlight, her scared face partially hidden by her hand. He melted. Slowly, so as not to scare her again, he pulled her arm towards him, and when she didn't move, he moved toward her and wrapped his arms around her frail back. She collapsed into him, grateful for a place to rest. Apolo held her, enjoying the feel of her silky hair next to his cheek, liking to feel he was bigger than her, as she shrank into his shoulder and chest. "I'm so scared, Apolo! I keep seeing him, over and over! He's going to die if he doesn't find Escaflowne! And it's going to be all my fault! I promised mother I would find a way to save him, and look at me! I ran away to earth again and Julian's probably dieing somewhere and its all my fault! I didn't want to be Sora! I didn't! It's a curse!! Do you understand me?! It's a curse and I'm going to die with it! I am Sora now and forever and I can never be anything else! I can't be her! I'm not…!" Fresh tears were soaking her and Apolo's nightclothes and Apolo didn't know what to do with her.  
  
"Sora…" he whispered tenderly as he brushed her hair from her neck.  
  
"NO! Shut up! I'm not her, do you hear me? I'm NOT!" she pulled away and hit him lightly then turned to his window and cried, "I'm NOT Sora!" She felt stupid, crying in front of Apolo. She had thought she was coming for a happy visit and here she was crying and feeling sorry for herself and fed up with her life.  
  
Apolo sat back on his heels and said quietly, "Will you be quiet and explain? Who's Julian? What's Escaflowne? And why are you in my room?"  
  
Sora turned around quickly and stared hard at him. Tears still slid down her pale cheeks and her lips quivered but she wiped her face and replied, "Hai. I will tell."  
  
She moved toward him again and they sat opposite each other, Apolo trying to see her face, Sora looking down and plucking at her nightgown.  
  
"I am Julian's sister. Where I come from, the first-born son is the heir.  
  
Apolo, who was a good listener didn't interrupt to ask, heir to what?  
  
"Julian rejected this idea, but more than that he ran away. For a year, we had no idea where he was. I knew he was safe, but I couldn't tell my parents where he was. We went to a city called Palas, to visit our friend Allen Sheczar and his family. That's where we found Julian. He had matured greatly and was working in the Sheczar stable. I knew from when I saw him that he was not ours anymore. He was so different. And he knew he was. They didn't say it or anything, but Allen's daughter, Diana, and Julian…they were—are in love. Ok. This is where it's going to be confusing for you because you've never heard anything like this before and you won't again. Where I'm from, there are knights who are chosen by Allen, to protect the city of Palas and other lands. These knights follow a code of chivalry that lays down rules for them to follow and Allen is one of the greatest knights my world has ever seen. Anyway, Julian wanted to be one of these knights, instead of being kin-heir to my family. To be a knight, you had to go through a bunch of rigorous tests such as sword fighting, but the most important was the guymelef fights. Guymelefs are huge machines that are kind of like suits of armor. The warrior gets in, the melef closes, and the man and melef fight as one, with the man controlling the melef. Julian is not just any warrior, he is my father's son. Our family has a guymelef called Escaflowne. He is the most prized melef in all my world. His name means 'God of War,' and there's a huge history behind him but I don't have time. So, Julian and Allen are fighting and everything's going pretty well, they hop out of the melefs, start sword fighting when suddenly, Allen collapses. That's my fault. My powers got out of control. I was wishing so hard for Julian to win that I caused Allen to be hurt. After that happened, my powers just went out of control and some really bad things happened. I…after all, I…do…I control…" Sora stopped and she took a shaky breath, "That's not important. What's important is that my brother Julian left again because Escaflowne disappeared and to even show his face again he needs to return Escaflowne. War is coming. We need Escaflowne to stop whatever forces are approaching. I have to help Julian…but…I…" She stopped again and looked up at him. Apolo was staring wide-eyed at her and his eyes were wet. Sora's brows drew together and she asked timidly,  
  
"Apolo?"  
  
He closed his eyes, opened them, and then asked, "What is your world, Sora?"  
  
Sora smiled and said, "Gaia."  
  
Apolo just stared. She nervously twisted her hands together and then said quietly, "You don't believe me do you?" She looked down again and felt a great sadness well inside her. Why had she even told him? She was alone in this, she couldn't be helped. Sora stood up and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that dumb story. Just go back to sleep." Apolo watched her standing and he said firmly, "I do believe you. What I don't understand is why you have to help! What is this to you? Why don't you runaway like Julian?" Sora stared down at him and sadly smiled.  
  
"You don't get it, do you. I did run away. I'm here. I am Sora." He stared back at her, dumbfounded and suddenly Sora knew she had to find Julian and help him and then maybe she could runaway. She opened her mouth and began her song.  
  
"Win dein a lotica en vi tu ri si lo ta. Fin dein a loluca en dragu sei lain, fi-ru les shuati am en riga lint." Apolo's eyes grew heavy and he keeled over onto his mat mumbling, "pretty song…" Sora closed her eyes and felt a wind rise and gather her up. Behind her closed eyelids, she could feel the intensity of the light and she was rising, rising higher than she had ever gone. "To Julian…" she breathed. And she left Earth, again.  
  
[END PART 2] 


End file.
